mon petit trésor
by AxelsKitty
Summary: Follow the life of Katrina, a Hero with an unknown past as her life carry's on and intertwines with the lives of those who live in Albion. Everyone makes an appearance and some become Romances. ReaverxOCxLogan You people know why it's rated M (and there's quite a bit of it ;-P)
1. Meeting Reaver

"First name, Katrina, Last name, unknown. Sex, female, Age, Unknown, Height, five feet eleven inches. Weight ranging between one hundred and sixty to one hundred and seventy pounds. Appearance, red auburn hair, brown eyes, pale white skin, and a scar under her left eye. She is most commonly found wearing a highwayman shirt and shorts with red striped stockings and knee high boots. Carries duel pistols named Love and Hate which she holsters, one on each outer thigh. They use and unknown ammunition which have adverse effects. Origins of target, Western Samarkand. Mission is to locate and kill. Any questions?" The masked figure looked up from his paper and scanned the room full of equally cloaked figures. "This is high risk. Those of who aren't killed by the terrain on the way there run the risk of being killed by her protectors or even herself."

"Why are we even going after her if she's all the way in Samarkand?" one of the men called out.

"Let's just say it will be better if we snip this bud before it fully blooms."

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The sun was particularly sweltering that day and all the humidity just made it worse. It was one of those days where it felt like you were drowning on land, but in the cool waters it had no effect on Katrina. She sat happily on the rock, the water covering up to her neck, feeling the fish swimming by causing small disturbances in the water. She listened as a distant storm rolled its way in, a bright spot in the future; a form of relief from the heat was coming their way. An especially loud clap of thunder caused her to open her eyes and watch as the first raindrops landed on the water's surface.

"Looks like it's time to get out." She mumbled to herself as she swam to the shoreline. She didn't even bother to dry herself of before putting on her robes. Why bother. Plus it would help her stay cool if she didn't. Another clap of thunder made her hasten her way from the court yard to the security of her home. In the doorway she slid her slippers off and one of the staff took them as they handed her a towel. Throwing it over her shoulder she padded down the hallway to the library.

"Wearing one of your robes from southern Samarkand I see. Master Garth would have mixed feelings about that." A voice said from behind her.

"I know, Sanvia, but it is so much cooler than my other robes, I'm pretty sure that he'd understand." Katrina stated as she turned to face one of the sweetest people in the world, "Plus it could be worse. I could be running around in my commoners clothing."

"What clothing? That outfit barely has anything to it. Where did you even get it from?" she said giving her charge a small smile.

"From the docks." Katrina said evasively as she tried to duck into the library. The smile had quickly left Sanvia's face at hearing this.

"From whom did you get it from?" Her tone was deathly serious.

"We both know who I got them from, let's not carry on. I need to study now." The change of subject was attempted.

"I want to hear you say where and from whom you got them from." Change of subject failed.

"I got them from the pirates down at the docks for five gold and my weave bracelet." Even though she stared at the ground she knew the look that Sanvia was giving her. It was the same look she had received a million times as a child after she had done something wrong.

"You know very well that Master Garth has forbidden you from socializing with the pirates. He doesn't even like you going to the docks at all." Katrina had the feeling that a long lecture was heading her way.

"I know, but he isn't even here to have any grievances with it. When is he even coming back? It's been a year since we last saw him." Since he put that thing in my neck that started to make me see the future she thought to herself.

"You know Master Garth, he shall turn up soon. As far as the pirates go, you are not allowed to leave the grounds for a week." Sanvia turned on her heels and left before Katrina could say a word in protest. She knew it was no use arguing with Sanvia, what she said was law. When Garth wasn't around she was in charge. Plus she had every single one of the staff in her pocket; they would totally snitch on her if she tried to sneak out.

She resigned herself to the library with a sigh. Leaning back into one of the lounges she contemplated the dream she had had as she was soaking in the water. Were people coming after her now? Or was that in the future? Or was it just a possible future?

"This curse brings more questions than answers." She snorted as she as she picked up a book on the old kingdom and began reading, "Eh whatever comes shall come."

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The storm was right over them now. The sun had gone down and the lamps had been lit. Katrina had spent hours in the library doing her studies on the old kingdom and geography. She even read about a thing called snow. She would love to see snow one day.

She started to grow restless. It was mostly the thunders fault. She always go so energetic when she heard thunder. Her will even crackled to life on its own accord at times during a thunder storm. It was like the storm was talking to some primal side of her, the side that housed the control of her will and subconscious.

Yes she had hero blood in her. Her mother was related to the hero of Oakvale, though how, Garth had yet to tell her. He really didn't tell her a lot of things. He wasn't around enough to.  
>Her mother had left her in his care and he in turn left her and Sanvia's. Though he did leave a detailed lesson plan for her to learn and he gave instructions for her to learn the arts of war and defense. She knew how to use a sword and a gun and basically any other weapon she deemed appropriate for bashing in an enemies head at any given time. In fact she flourished in it. Her mind was as sharp as any scholar in Samarkand. Probably as sharp as Garths himself and she could hold her own against any opponent or any number of opponents. The only opponent she couldn't handle was the boredom creeping into her everyday life. It was starting to consume her every thought.<p>

She put the book she had been reading back on the shelf and headed into the hall. She couldn't shake the sense that something big was going to happen…

Sanvia was bustling down the hallway toward her, a great smile spread across her face. Katrina couldn't help but smile back.

"Looks as if you've received your wish miss Katrina. Master Garth is on his way home; he is in town and will be coming to the house in an hour."

"That isn't enough time to cook a proper meal for him and he most likely will be hungry. He always is when he comes home." Katrina furrowed her brow; she always cooked Garths first meal home.

"That's Okay, he said to just make a light meal, he's happy with anything you cook, though he did say to put out another setting as we might have a guest."

"A guest? He's never brought home a guest before. Ever." Surprise was clearly written across Katrina's face and as Sanvia thought about it she realized that the girl was right, Garth never brought home guests.

"Well this person must be extra special then. Com now Miss. Let's go make his dinner. We don't want him to have to wait for his food once he gets here do we?" Sanvia took Katrina's hand and started leading her to the kitchen.

"No I suppose not." She said, a smile creeping across her face. She sped up nearly dragging Sanvia behind her. She was so excited. Father was home.

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The table was set and waiting. The only thing missing was Garth. Katrina could barely contain her excitement and nervousness. She had no right to be nervous, not really. But she still was anyway. The last time Garth was back he implanted that shard of whatever it was in the back of her neck and started the cursed dreams. Then a few years before that he did some kind of old kingdom ritual on her and she hasn't aged a day since. She actually had every right to be nervous. She didn't know what he would do next.

She finally gave up her pacing and went to her quarters. She changed into one of her fancier southern Samarkand robes. Admiring the colorful light material and how it seemed to change color in the light. Looking into the mirror she remembered the one slight draw back of her cleavage popping out of her top and the slit in the skirts running up to her thigh. It revealed a little more skin than she was used to showing but gosh darn it kept her cool and comfortable in hot muggy weather, which the storm had failed to alleviate.

She looked into the mirror once more and decided to run a brush through her red lion's mane she called hair to tame it down some. Thought on some days it needed a whip and a shield today was one of the better days where just a few strokes of her brush put the hairs back in place and left it shiny.

Once she placed her brush down she heard a knock on her door. She didn't bother answering, she knew it was Sanvia telling her that Garth was here and summoning her to dinner.

She slid out of her room, shutting her door behind her and headed to the dining area with Sanvia in tow. She was wondering why the woman was fretting over her clothing; it wasn't as if she were going to dinner naked.

But when she saw garths face she felt she might as well have. He was not happy at all and when she looked to his left she saw why he was upset.

Next to Garth sat a man dressed in gold and red. His face was in a permanent sneer and his mouth was spread across his face in a grin. There was a hungry look in his eyes for a second but the n he had himself in check and acted as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"Reaver this is my adopted daughter, Katrina." Garth introduced." Katrina, this is Reaver."

"The pirate king Reaver?" She asked tilting her head to the side, looking the guest up and down with her eyes.

"The one and only ma chère. It seems that my reputation precedes me." He said lowering his head in a mock bow.

"Yes I have heard of you exploits among the storytellers in town." She replied but the look on garths face told her that he knew "story tellers" she meant pirates.

"I assure you they are not stories and I certainly hope that you haven't heard of _ALL _my exploits. Some are just too scandalous for a darling petit trésor such as yourself to hear." A smile graced Reaver's lips and he then motioned to the seat opposite of him. "Now please join us before the dinner gets cold and spoils our appetites. Though I doubt anything gets cold in this kind of weather."

She couldn't help but smile as she took a seat across from Reaver, on her father's right hand side. Though she had taken a quick liking to him, his charms didn't completely disarm her. She had hear the stories. She knew that this man was going to be trouble.


	2. A Most Improper Dinner

Katrina was in her room reading into the night by the light of an ever shrinking candle, looking back at the disasterous dinner. She never knew of anything that had ever gone more horribly wrong than that dinner in the history of mankind. It had been going some what smoothly in the begining...

"I assure you they are not stories and I certainly hope that you haven't heard of ALL my exploits. Some are just too scandalous for a darling petit trésor such as yourself to hear." A smile graced Reaver's lips and he then motioned to the seat opposite of him. "Now please join us before the dinner gets cold and spoils our appetites. Though I doubt anything gets cold in this kind of weather."

She couldn't help but smile as she took a seat across from Reaver, on her father's right hand side. Reaver had a very charming and beguiling aura about him but there was something darker. Something beautiful and dangerous, like an exotic flower that lures you in with its colors tempting you to smell it and when you do it releases a toxic pollen.

"I must say Garth that I did not expect you to have such a grand estate waiting for you here," Reaver gave a toothy grin to his scowling host "And to have such a lovely young woman eagerly awaiting your return."

"Katrina what have you prepared for supper." Garth was obviously trying to move this dinner along so he didn't have to bear Reavers company any longer than he must.

"Um, well I made your favorite kelp and magnificient tuna salad and rye bread. For the main course there is mutton tenderloin and gold roasted peanut stuffed lizards with sauteed mushrooms, as well as moonfish pie and for dessert is epiphanic berry pie, chocolate parfait and spiced mulled cider." Katrina gave her adoptive father a smile. " I know you said a light meal but that didn't seem fitting after not seeing you for so many years and Savina was so kind to help me."

"Speaking of the kind Savina, I believe she is here with our meal." Garth motioned Savina and the other servants from the door way and they laid the meal out before them. When they finished the other servents left the dinning hall and Savina sat in her seat of honor at the end of the table. They all started eating the feast before them and the conversation started.

"Is it true you shot the pirate kings eyes out from half a mile away?" Katrina blurted out to Reaver, her cheeks reddening at her impromptu boldness.

"No no no, that's not at all how it happened mon cher and as a matter of secondary concern he is no longer the pirate king, I am. It would be kind of you not to fall into that little mix-up again. No no ange I faked my surrender and made way onto his ship. Then I slaughtered all but one of his men and there in a final showdown between Captain Dread and I, I shot the lamp behind him so his head caught on fire and he slowly melted. It's much funner to make your enemies death slow and dramatique." Reaver said non-chalantly causing Savina to choke on her drink a little and Garth to glare at the two of them.

"Can you tell me more of your stories?" The look Katrina earned from Garth could have torn her to shreds if looks could kill. She knew she was pushing her luck but she didn't care. Reaver just gave one of his lopsided grins.

"And which stories are the ones you'd like to hear exactly?" He asked with a look of hunger in his half lidded eyes.

Garth quickly interupted this line of conversation earning an annoyed glance from Reaver. "So Savina, how goes Katrina's studies."

Savina also wanting to change the course of the conversation replied "Very well sir, she has excelled past your teaching plan and is studying many other subjects." She continued on looking at Reaver with a hint of warning as she said it, "As for her combat training she has surpassed her teachers and is capable of holding her own against any offender." Katrina couldn't help but suspect that Savina directed that toward Reaver.

"And has she been respecting the rules?" Uh-oh.

The look on Savina's face showed that she did not want to bring this topic to light at the dinner table but one look from Garth reminded her of her oath and she finally responded, "She has for the most part... but she has been down to the docks," Garth motioned for her to go on. "And she has been socializing with the sailors there."

The glass Garth had been about to drink from shattered in his grip, Savina and Katrina couldn't help but flinch. Reaver just watched the spectacle with an amused look upon his face.

"Is. That. So. By Sailors it is safe to assume you mean pirates don't you." He looked only at Katrina as he said each word noteing Savina's head nod out of the corner of his eye. He did not yell, he did not scream, he just spoke the words with a sharp edge of fury in his voice. An edge that ignited Katrina's own fury.

"Yes that IS so! I don't see what the big deal is! They are just people with amazing stories to tell and items to trade! I should be able to go where ever I want! Not be cooped up in this prison all the time! I-"

"ENOUGH!" Garth yelled, slamming his hand on the table, Will crackling to life over his skin. "I was charged with your protection and protect you I shall-"

"And just how have you been protecting me all the way in Albion for the last eleven years?" Katrina snapped back, glaring at Garth the whole while.

"That is enough go to your room!" Garth ordered.

"As you wish father." Katrina sneered.

She rushed out of the dining hall not even bothering to look back. Where had that come from? She never got angry like that at her father. She never had been so bold as to speak back to her father, but she felt what she said was the truth. He was not protecting her all the way in Albion. This house did feel like a prison to her.

She came to her bedroom door without realizing it and walked in. She plopped herself on the bed and buried her face in the pillow, giving it a scowl that should have scared the stuffing out of it. After a few minutes of the pillow not heeding her bad mood she took a breath and grabbed a book from her nightstand. It was one of her favorites. A book of stories about Heroes. Father hadn't wanted to buy it for her but did so after much begging and pleading.

Katrina read into the night by the light of an ever shrinking candle, looking back at the disasterous dinner in the back of her mind. She never knew of anything that had ever gone more horribly wrong than that dinner in the history of mankind. It had been going some what smoothly in the begining but then she and her father had to get into an argument. On his first day back no less. She felt torn. She felt guilty for arguing on his first day back but then again she didn't feel guilty about the reason of the argument.

She looked out the window as she sat up and saw that the moon was high in the star filled sky. Swiping away some sweat from the back of her neck she got up and went to her mirror, staring at her reflection before she checked the clock.

It was late and the humidity was even more unbearable than it was during the day. There was no breeze at all. No hint or whisper of relief and she needed to cool down. She grabbed a drying towel and popped her head out her door. No one in the hall.

Padding her way down the hall she made her way into the court yard and to the edge of the large pond. She shed all of her clothes and folded them neatly, laying them neatly on a rock so they would stay clean. Slowly she made her way into the water, enjoying the cool refreshing feeling on her skin.

Swimming lazily out to her favorite spot she stared up at the stars in the sky and started picking out constellations that she had read about in her books. She easily found the The Fury which held one of the brightest stars for this time of year. It also led her straight to the rock that she always perches on.

Finding her usual little cranny she sat crosslegged and leaned against the smooth backrest that the rock naturally made. It was quite convenient bacause she had no plans of getting out until she was nice and pruney. A few water wrinkles was way better than even the thought of a few moments in the heat.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who had thought of this.

She heard a splash off in the distance near the shore line but didn't pay any attention to it. The older fish ofter jumped out of the water to either get more air or to just show off. She just kept looking at the sky and studying the stars.

"I must say that was quite a dinner." She nearly jumped out of her skin as Reaver was swimming toward her.

"Why aren't you asleep sir, it is quite late." She replied, trying to avoid a conversation about dinner and to distract him so he would keep a distance.

"I could ask the same of you." He said coyly deflecting the question, " I thought you were supposed to be in your room."

He was getting closer and she was starting to get nervous, "I am supposed to be but it was far too hot and now I must ask you to stop where you are."

"And why is that mon chere?" He asked with a smirk, " Is it because you're clothed only in water?"

Katrina blushed so furiously that Reaver was able to see it in the moonlight, earning a laugh from him. He came closer still and she tried to back away but she hit the rock that she so loved to lounge on and cursed it.

"Didn't you stop to think might want to see you dans le nu? Oh I admit I got a sneak peak when you got in but I wanted a closer look très cher." He swam closer to her and looked into her eyes.

"Mister Reaver this is most improper. I should really go to my room."

"May I ask what does that insufferable bore Garth have against pirates?" He clearly ignored her question and stayed right in front of her. Thankfully he was far enough away that neither of them could see below the collar bone.

"I honestly do not know, now if you would kindly move so as I may get past you-"

"Why are you so nervous? Has a man never seen you unclothed before?" He asked looking straight into her eyes and,she felt,into her soul. She shook her head meekly and looked down at the water in front of her to break eye contact so she didn't see Reaver smirk before he continued, " So it is safe to assume that you have never seen a man without clothing as well."

"That is correct sir. In fact i have never even kissed a boy before, now wi-"

"Well lucky for you I am not a boy, I am a man." He closed the distance between them, like a shark going in for the kill, and before she could react he gently guided her gaze to his then placed his lips upon hers.

She gave a small gasp and Reaver took full advantage of it, deepening the kiss and pulling her off the rock and closer to him. It felt like her skin was covered with electricity and there was a warmth spreading through her lower stomach. The kiss seemed to last for an eternity and for a second at the same time. She moaned into Reavers lips and he smiled as he pulled back.

"Now that you had your first experience what do you think Ange?" Katrina couldn't help but notice that his lips were flush and red. All she could think about was melting her lips with his once more.

"I think that was very improper." She said in a breathless whisper, but she wanted more.


	3. Waking Up Next To Reaver

What had she done? What the heck happened? Is Reaver really lying naked next to her in bed? HOLY AVO! That is Reaver lying next to her... and yes he is naked. This one was going to be hard to explain...

"Well lucky for you I am not a boy, I am a man." He closed the distance between them, like a shark going in for the kill, and before she could react he gently guided her gaze to his then placed his lips upon hers.

She gave a small gasp and Reaver took full advantage of it, deepening the kiss and pulling her off the rock and closer to him. It felt like her skin was covered with electricity and there was a warmth spreading through her lower stomach. The kiss seemed to last for an eternity and for a second at the same time. She moaned into Reavers lips and he smiled as he pulled back.

"Now that you had your first experience what do you think Ange?" Katrina couldn't help but notice that his lips were flush and red. All she could think about was melting her lips with his once more.

"I think that was very improper." She said in a breathless whisper, but she wanted more.

"I can tell by that hungry look in your eyes that you greatly enjoyed it though. " He slid his hand down from her face and gave her nipple a little tweak between his thumb and forefinger, earning a squeak from Katrina. He just smiled as he said, "I could teach you more if you'd like."

"More?" Another tweak. Another squeak.

"Much more." His hand started sliding further down her body.

"I'm sorry but I can't." She said as she did a quick manuver to swicth places with Reaver so his back was against the rock then swam away from him.

"And why not mon bichette? You seemed to be enjoying yourself quite a bit." Reaver cooed as he swam toward her to close the distance only to have her swim further away.

"Because I _have_ heard some of those scandolous stories and I refuse to become one of them." He clearly did not expect her to say that because it showed plainly on his face for a second. Then it was replaced with a look of deep hunger that startled Katrina. This look showed how much of a dangerous predetor he really was.

"Is that so? Well this trip is finally showing some promise, I've always loved a challenge." The smile on his face was cofindent and cocky. It made Katrina's blood boil. The nerve of this man thinking that she will be just another faceless notch in his belt. Hmph! The hell she will be!

"I'm afraid Mr. Reaver that you will be sorely dissappointed." She gave him a level glare and stared him down.

"And I'm afraid you're the only one who's going to be sore. The morning after I show you many marvelous things mon chaton." He chuckled when he saw her glare give a little falter but she quickly put it back into place.

She just snorted and turned, swimming toward shore, Reaver following behind. He was arrogant, cocky, and all around just rubbing her the wrong way right now. She heard him whisper something under his breath and turned around to snap at him.

That was a mistake. The world kept spinning even though she had stopped. She felt the familiar sharp pain in the back of her head.

"Shit." She mumbled to herself as the blackness swept over her and the water pulled her under.

"_My King you must prepare yourself for anything. This is not like a regular journey." Katrina was lying on a bed covered in silk facing a sillouhette standing in front of a window that took up the whole wall. She could barely make out the dark trousers and well muscled back of the person she was speaking to. She could sense his smile._

_ He turned slightly so she could see the profile of his face. It was strong and angular. The kind of face one would expect from royalty. She could see the smile played across his whole face. _

_ "I suppose I should heed the advice of a reputable adventurer such as yourself, but there is no way that someone could prepare for everything, is there?" The King turned toward her and she could see his well sculpted chest. It may have been sleek and on the thin side but there was definate muscle definition there. She could easily pick out the muscle groups that hid under his skin. _

_ "I didn't say prepare for everything my king," She gave a small smile back at him as he walked over to the edge of the bed."I said prepare for anything."_

_ "Isn't it the same thing my blossom?" He leaned down and put his face mere inches from hers. He gave a little chuckle when she raised her eyebrow in a quizzical expression. _

_ "No. The furthest thing from it. Just like I am the furthest thing from a blossom." Her eyes locked with his and looked as if they started to stare into distant memories, making the King lose his smile. _

_ He softly brushed his lips over her temple and her thoughts came back to the here and now. She gave a quick smile to dispell the look of concern on the KIng's face and he gave one in return. _

_ "And just how are they different?" The King asked as he sat on the bed. Katrina worried for a moment on wether or not he might slide off the slippery fabric but he stayed where he sat and looked down at her with a look she was not familiar with. _

_ "Which do you mean? The adventure or me and a blossom?" She stared into his brown eyes. She didn't know how to take how he was looking at her. It was making her uncomfortable. No one had ever looked at her like that. She didn't even know how to describe it. _

_ "Both." A knock interuppted what would have been another kiss. "Enter!"_

_ The door swung open with a crack making the King jump to his feet and reach for his sword to find it wasn't there. She spun to grab her pistol from the end table and spun back to find-_

It was so white.

The light was disorientating. It was so bright and obnoxious that she had to squint to get a hint of her surroundings. They were familiar though. So familiar...

It hit her like a landside. She was in her room. That couldn't be possible, the last thing she remembered was swimming in the courtyard, relaxing, looking up at the stars and then... and then...

"Oh avo." she mumbled. Reaver had been there. Naked. Touching her. She wracked her brain to try to remember what had happened.

Oh right! She rejected him! Then she started swimming away. Then one of her episodes hit...but she started going underwater. She should of drowned! How was she in her room.

She gave a groan as she went to strecth but froze when her hand brushed something that most definately should NOT have been there. She squeezed her eyes shut and ever so slowly turned her head toward where the foreign object should have been.

After a few seconds of mental preparation she slowly opened her eyes and immediatley wished she hadn't . Lying right next to her was Reaver...

What had she done? What the heck happened? Was Reaver really lying naked next to her in bed? HOLY AVO! That is Reaver lying next to her... and yes he is naked. This one was going to be hard to explain especially becuase she couldn't really remember how it came to be!

She shot out of bed and to her horror found that she was also naked! She had to use all her restraint to choke down the scream of absolute terror that was building up in her throat and was very close to failing.

She shot out of bed and ended up tangling herself in the blankets causing her to land chin first on the floor. She scrambled out of the heap and stood up grabbing her robe off her chair.

"Now now, you don't have to go covering up like that mon lapin. I got a very good look last night." Reaver said rolling over onto his side to face her. He smiled when he saw the blush that covered her entire face as she clutched the robe tighter to her body.

"What in Avo's name happened last night?!" She said in a whispered scream.

"You nearly drowned and I had to carry you all the way up here."He said. He noticed her look of relief, "Trust me cherie, if we had done anything you would have definately remembered it."

The smile that he gave made her feel slimy and she just tsked at him as she stomped over to where she saw his clothes. Picking up his trousers she hurled them at him with all her might only to be dissappointed when he caught them effortlessly.

"And why, Mr. Reaver, are you naked in my bed?" She glared at him as he stayed beneath the covers, not even making an attempt to get dressed. He just stretched and leaned his head back against the pillows.

"Why I couldn't leave you here all defenseless, now could I mon précieux?" He said in mock horror. "What kind of Hero would I be if I did?"

"I don't care what kind of Hero you have been, are, or will be! Just get out of my room!" She half commanded, half pleaded. She could hear the others in the house starting to stir and all she needed was one of the servants walking in on this. If she didn't die from embarrasment surely Garth would kill her.

"As you wish ma chérie. Never let it be said that Reaver was not a gentleman." He made a grandoise movement as he threw the covers from his naked form, showing himself in all his glory to Katrina. Her mouth just hung open as her eyes practically popped from her skull.

Reaver just smirked and stood there in a little pose for her, unabashed by his boldness. Katrina quickly spun around to give him privacy and to recover from the shock of such a risque action, only to find herself face to face with Reavers reflected gaze in the mirror.

Squeezing her eyes shut she practically hurled herself into the little washroom that was adjacent to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. She sat in there for a few moments before she heard a knock on the door.

"Ma souris timide peu! I am fully dressed and awaiting your accompaniment down to the dinning hall so that we may break our fast." Reavers voice called from the other side of the door.

"You may wait for me in the hall Mr. Reaver. I still have a need to get dressed!" She snapped with enough force that most would have balked, but not Reaver.

"I do hope you wear one of your provactive little ensambles. Seeing you dressed like that does get my blood boiling so." Katrina could hear the smirk in his voice and it pissed her off to no end.

"OUT!" She snapped. She heard him chuckle and then heard the door slide open. She listened as he left the room and closed the door behind him. Just to be sure that it was no trick she waited a moment longer before she opened the door to peek around her room.

When she saw no sign of him, she gave a sigh and came out of the washroom. She hurried over to her closet and retrieved a Samarkand top that showed her shoulders but covered everything else in a billowing white fabric. Next she chose a colorful vest to go over her shirt. After that she grabbed the billowing harem pants that matched her shirt and vest and quickly pulled them on, tying the drawstring a little tighter that usual. As a last touch she grabbed one of her larger scarves and tied it around her waist. She gave a quick look in the mirror to see the overall effect.

She wished she hadn't. Her hair was atroucious. She combination of it being wet and not brushed before bed had made it a tangled mass of knots. She shook her head as she grabbed her brush and strarted attacking the mess that she called hair. A good ten minutes later she had a finished braid dangling down her back and was walking out the door into the hall.

"I must say I am a little dissappointed you decided to go with that clothing option." Reaver said when he saw her, making her physically jump. She had whole heartedly expected him to get tired of waiting for her and just leave and he could tell that is exactly what she was thinking "Mon cherie did you expect me to leave you even after I stated my intentions to dine with you? Now, now, I thought you would expect better of me..."

The look on her face said it all. She didn't even have to utter a single word and in return Reaver just gave one of his regular smirks as he offered her his arm. She cordially took it and they made their way down to the dining hall, the entire while she had was hoping Garth had cooled down from their argument. She certainly had felt guilty about it.

When they reached the dining hall Garth was already there, surrounded by books and scrolls, fumbling around for his food because he was too busy reading. When they entered the room he looked up and saw Katrina on Reavers arm. He looked as if he was going to destroy all of Samarkand.

"Why Garth you have such a gracieux daughter! She found me wandering the halls lost, lonely, and hungry and kindly guided me to the dining hall when most would have let me continue wandering. I must say she is so bien." Reaver carried on as they took thier seats at the table. He definately did have charms because Garth began looking less murderous and more suspicious. Katrina didn't know which was better.

Garth snapped his book shut and sat up straighter, facing the two of them. Summoning a servant over with a wave of his hand, plates of food were placed in front of them. It was not a large breakfast but somthing to get the day started. Eggs on toasted bread with prickly pear slices. Katrina's favorite breakfast food.

She could feel Garth's eyes on her but she ignored him and began eating her breakfast. It was delicious, just like it always is and she couldn't help but give a little smile at the juicy taste of the pears. She could see out of the corner of her eye that this made Garth give a little smile too.

Breakfast went splendidly espcially compared to dinner from the previous night. That is until Reaver had to get onto a certain topic...

"I say Garth, how about you show me the locale of Samarkand?" Reaver said taking a bite from a slice of pear.

"Unfortunately Reaver I can not. I have much that needs to be settled from my extended absencse. How about you go exploring on your own?" Garth's reply was a half truth. He mostly didn't want to spend any time he didn't have to with Reaver.

"Father, is that really a good idea? He seems the type that could easily get into trouble in a new land, who's customs elude him." Katrina piped up earning a thoughtful look from Garth.

"It's settled then, Katrina shall be my guide!" Reaver said as a matter of factly. Earning sharp looks from the both of them he continued, "Garth you said yourself that you are much to busy and ce petit trésor does have a point. I am bound to get into some kind of trouble with out a guide to this foreign land and I do remember her guardian saying that she is ahead of schedule in her schooling..."

"Katrina. Are you ok with this proposal?" Garth did not look ok with this but she couldn't waste a chance to get down to the docks. There should be new ships in port by now and Avo only knew what treasures were on them.

"Don't worry father. I will show him around and teach him the customs. If _anyone _should get out of hand you know I can handle myself." She gave Garth a smile and she could physically see him relax. He knew she was a fighter and knew if Reaver tried anything funny she would handle him. Even if she didn't if anyone in town saw Reaver mistreat her, they would take care of it.

Garth smiled at the thought of the townspeople running Reaver out with torches and gardening tools, " Then I give my permission. I want you to be home or have sent word by sun down. Do you hear me?"

"Yes sir." Katrina had a wide smile plastered over her face.

"Well I'm ready, if you are." Reaver said as he got off of his sitting cushion.

"I Just need to grab something from my room first, Would care to wait at the door for me?" Katrina said making a mental list of all the places she would visit with him.

"How about I just walk you to your room and wait in the hallway for you." Reaver suggested.

"How about you just wait by the front door, that wasn't really a request that could be bartered with." Katrina said earning a chuckle from Garth and annoyed look from Reaver. Oh yes Garth realized she could most definately handle her own agains Reaver.

Reaver just nodded with a sulky look and headed to the front door while Katrina darted toward her room.

She got there in record time and threw her door open. She quickly dove for the drawer with her commoner's clothing and threw it onto the bed while she shucked off what she was wearing. In no time flat she was wearing a highwaymens top with short shorts over red striped tights and boots that came up to her calves. She looped her red scarf through her belt loops and tied a quick knot. Aha and she almost forgot her gauntlets. They come in handy in case she gets into a brawl.

She went over to her end table, opened the drawer and started shuffling the contents inside until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a knife in a sheath and tied it onto her belt loop on her left hip as she gave herself a quick look in the mirror. She looked like a commoner. Just what she wanted.

She bolted down the hallways zig-zagging left and right, dodging staff and making turns until she finally made it to the front door. She found Reaver waiting patiently leaned against the door frame looking out at the scenery outside. When he heard her coming he turned his head and smiled when he saw what she was wearing.

"That is more like it allumeur. Those clothes were meant to show every curve in the right way." He smiled with that lustful hunger in his eyes again but Katrina just rolled her eyes.

"I prefer to blend in, though that will be next to impossible with you tagging along." Katrina stated

"Oh? I am a -what did you call it- a tag along? And here I thought you were supposed to be showing me all that there is to show in this wasteland." Reaver admonished teasingly.

"This is not a wasteland and I will do as I promise. I'm just worried you won't recieve the full experience because you're an outsider is all." She coolly replied to cover up her little slip, "Now if we may? There is much to explore and only a set amount of time to do so."

"Lead the way ma cherie." He offered her his arm once again, with a smile, and she graciously took it. They both knew this day was going to be fun.


	4. Intimacy In The Desert

_ This situation could eaisly go from bad to worse, and even easier from worse to dead if she didn't play her cards right. She had certainly been right about Reaver finding trouble but it never occured to her that she could be dragged into that trouble right along with him. _

"I prefer to blend in, though that will be next to impossible with you tagging along." Katrina stated

"Oh? I am a -what did you call it- a tag along? And here I thought you were supposed to be showing me all that there is to show in this wasteland." Reaver admonished teasingly.

"This is not a wasteland and I will do as I promise. I'm just worried you won't recieve the full experience because you're an outsider is all." She coolly replied to cover up her little slip, "Now if we may? There is much to explore and only a set amount of time to do so."

"Lead the way ma cherie." He offered her his arm once again, with a smile, and she graciously took it. They both knew this day was going to be fun and exciting

She led him through the courtyard and toward the front gate, letting him set a fast pace with his rather long strides. She had to lengthen her own to keep up.

"So is it safe to assume that you know nothing of Samarkand?" Katrina asked as she waved to the guard and he opened the door to let them out.

"All I know is it has hot nights, exotic substances, and uninhibited people."

"It's nothing like that."

"Trust me I'll find the exciting bits and it's quite amusing, your father said the same thing to me, word for word." Reaver chuckled to himself. For only being adopted she was definately her father's daughter.

"And you should have heeded his words. You are only going to have your hopes dashed upon the rocks if that is what you are expecting." Katrina looked down at the path with a smile.

"Is that so?" Reaver said with a look of mild dissappointment.

"Yes. The people of Samarkand are scholars and scientists. They are rigid and formal at their most audacious. In fact the only reason that our little port city even has a tavern is for the sailors. The most prominenet features of Samarkand are the Great Library to the north of here. An even larger port town called Fairwinds to the east of us, the capital Zahadar is also north of us, and further west, closer to the moutains, is The Cave Of A Thousand Guardians. It's basically a large city next to a spiritual cave, populated by civilians and just as many monks who have started getting a foothold in our agricultural industry."

"None of those sound especially diverting." The dissappointment on his face was mixed with a look of disgust. "What do you people do for fun?"

"We are a simple people who enjoy using our minds for entertainment instead of the more carnal pleasures that you're used to Reaver." She chuckled. She hadn't expected putting a damper on Reaver's expectations to be this fun.

"I can now see why you like to run off to the the docks. There is most likely more excitement there than in this whole country. Let me guess, we are coming up on the little ville now?" Reaver looked over the horizon and saw the city standing there with a background of turquoise ocean and sapphire skies.

"Welcome to the Reef of The Cerulean Lantern." She waved her arm to highlight the aforementioned city. "Or Cerulean Reef for short."

"How quaint." Reaver said with a slight sneer. Katrina couldn't help but get the feeling that he was not impressed. She swallowed a laugh that wanted to escape from her and the two of them walked to the city, the conversation ceasing for the moment.

"Do you have anything particular in mind or are you willing to come along for the ride?" Katrina asked when they finally passed through the gate of the city.

"I suppose I am at your mercy ma douce, please be gentle with me." Reaver said sliding closer to her so that every inch of person that could touch, was. Katrina couldn't help the snort that automatically came and earned a curious glance.

"I'm sorry, that was rude." Her hand flew to her face and covered it to hide her blush. She cleared her throat before she continued, " Well there is the market place. There is always something going on there. I also heard there is a troupe wandering around, perhaps we shall view some of their spectacles? Then toward the end of the day we shall go to the docks and visit the tavern. Does that sound like a good plan?"

"That sounds merveilleux, ma cherie. Lead the way." Reaver said looking down at her with a smile. Katrina could easily see why women and even men fell pray to his charms.

Katrina led him through the alleyways and streets toward the market place, dodging people, animals, and carts along the way. The closer they got to their destination the more congested the streets became and the louder the noise grew until they were finally in the middle of the market place. They were surrounded by wooden stalls with silk coverings filled with anything a person could ever want or need and people barking their wares out to the passers-by on the streets. The yells and talking of the people mixed with the sounds of animals mewling, insturments playing, musicians singing, and hundreds of feet walking through their daily lives to create a cacophony of sounds that if one listened to often enough, could become a symphony of familiarity. Katrina couldn't help but have a smile lulled onto her face.

The smell of incense, herbs, flowers and food assaulted her nose at once and almost over powered her. These smells were as familiar to her as the smell of a mother is to a small child and she couldn't help but love them.

"Un beau sourire sur une belle étoile. Je vais prendre cette étoile peu de lumière, je vous le promets." Reaver whispered to himself and she barely heard it. She looked up at him and found him staring down at her with a smile on his face.

"What does that mean?" Katrina asked him

"A beautiful smile on a beautiful star." Reaver replied non chalantly, shrugging his shoulders. Katrina smiled at him for the compliement but got the feeling that was not all that he said. She would have to start learning his language if she wanted to know everything that he was saying.

She led him through the stalls looking at everything from pottery, to incense, to weapons, which she noticed he seemed to appreciate, and more. The entire time they had no less that fifty pairs of eyes on them, watching their every move. Most of them were women fawning over Reaver.

"Do you get this everywhere you go?" Katrina asked him as they stood in front of a stall selling different herbs. She waited for an answer from him as she picked out spices that Savina had said she needed to try a new recipe.

"No. Usually the women cling on me and throw themselves at me, begging me to take them then and there." Reaver finally answered as Katrina was paying the vendor, earning amazed stares from the both of them. " You were quite right, these people are rigid and formal."

Katrina couldn't help but laugh at his look of dissappointment but it was cut short as a body slammed into her and knocked her into the stand she was just visiting. Luckily she caught herself on the edge before she could do any damage rebounded into the street just in time to see a little boy take Reavers money and bolt down the street.

"You little cur!" Reaver growled as he whipped out his dragonstompper .48 and aimed at the child.

"Wait!" Katrina shouted throwing her hand in front of the gun to keep him from shooting.

"Vous êtes fou-"

"Hang on!" She interupeted him before he could finish and bolted down the street after the little urchin.

She bounded after her target, leaping over carts, sliding under obstacles, and even bouncing off the walls, eventually over taking him with ease. Grabbing him by the scruff of his collar she lifted him off the ground and he started kicking and swinging.

"Nǐ chǒu biǎo zi! Fàng wǒ xiàlái!" The little thief screamed at her while he flailed.

"Lüèduó zhě shì zhèngquè de! Nǐ zhǐshì yīgè xiǎo diànliú. Jiāo chū tōule nǐ de qián zhīqián, wǒ qiē duàn nǐ de shǒu!" She growled at him in his native dialect making the child look up at wonder and stop his thrashing.

"Nǐ zěnme zhīdào rúhé shuō wǒ de yǔyán, wǒ de bùluò zhī wài méiyǒu rén zhīdào ba!" He said.

"Wǒ de péngyǒu, nǐ de cūnzhuāng, nǐ de fǎlǜ juédìng, yīnwèi nǐ tōule shì wǒ de, wǒ xiànzài yǒngyǒu nǐ de shǒu. De jié yáng, wǒ juédìng bǎ tāmen ràng nǐ bǎochí tāmen shì rúhé kuàisù duō de qián, nǐ de shǒu Tōu zǒuliǎo. " Katrina said raising her chin up. The child handed her the money that was stolen and she stuck her hand behind her and handed it to Reaver who had finally caught up to the spectacle. He nodded his head in thanks as he took it. "Rúguǒ wǒ fāxiàn nǐ tōule zài zài zhège shìchǎng shàng, wǒ dāyìng nǐ, wǒ huì yāoqiú nǐ de shǒu, wǒ zìjǐ hé tāmen gěi dà shǔ wèi!"

The child went sprawling on the ground when she released him. He got up and gave her a bow of respect and an apology before he went running off into the crowd. Katrina turned around to find Reaver standing there, holding his money, with a smile that she could not place.

"I am afraid it is my turn to ask for a translation mon guerrier." Reaver came to her side and the crowd that had formed started to dispurse. Katrina took hold of his arm and started leading him around as if nothing had happened.

"I basically told him that if i caught him stealing ever again that I would chop of his hands and feed them to the rats." She said non chalantly as they headed to another stall.

"Speaking of hands, if i were any less than the Hero of skill that I am you would have lost that pretty little hand of yours." He said stopping and turning her around to face him. A blush crept up Katrina's face because she knew he was right. She hadn't thought at all. Only acted.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't think..." She said looking sheepishly to the ground.

"Then be glad that it was here and now that you learned that lesson and not in a more dangerous situation that could have cost you your life." He scolded as he brought her face up to look at his, none to gently. "Now I must say that, that little incident has made me weary of this market place. Where is this troupe you were speaking of earlier mon chéri courageux?"

"Just follow the people." Katrina stated as she pointed down the road. Sure enough groups of people seemed to be drawn toward some unknown source.

With a smirk Reaver led her to the throng of people. The closer the got they easier they could hear the music. It had a lively beat that was easy to dance to but they couldn't see a thing due to how thick the crowd was. Reaver began weaving his way through the crowd pulling Katrina behind him until they were up at the front.

What they saw was amazing. People doing flips and balancing on balls. People swallowing fire and swords. People bending in ways people shouldn't bend. People juggling all sorts of items. There were even animals doing tricks.

"J'ai pu trouver quelques utilisations pour la façon dont elle se penche..." Reaver said in a rather seductive voice while watching one of the performers bend herself in half.

"How come I'm getting the feeling you switch languages when you say something you don't want me to hear?" Katrina asked looking at him with a defiant smirk.

"Why ma chère petite astuce, I would gladly teach you the language if that is your wish." Reaver said while brushing a stray hair behind Katrina's ear, causing her to give a small shiver at the touch.

"I'll take you up on that offer Reaver. For all I know, you could be calling me the foulest names and I'd be none the wiser." Katrina looked into his gorgeous blue eyes and for a split second she was tempted to kiss him. She quickly looked away and started watching the performers once again.

"We will start tomorrow then." Reaver leaned down and whispered into her ear, making sure to let his breath tickle her skin. This time she visibly shivered and got a chuckle from Reaver.

There attention returned to the performers as they started to clear the area that they were taking up and the band began playing a song that was similar to a waltz. Members of the troupe started to lead members of the audiance out onto the dance floor and began twirling them this way and that.

A particularly large gentleman came up to Katrina and asked for her hand. She willing let him lead her onto the dance floor and twirl her around. She followed his lead when he began showing her the dance steps and soon got the hang of it. She kept stride with him easily, moving to and fro with the music.

She looked to the crowd and found Reaver instantly. Their eyes locked and it felt as if they were magnetically drawn toward each other. As the large gentleman lead her around the dance floor she kept her eyes on Reavers the entire time. She noticed when one of the female performers went up to Reaver and asked him to dance but he waved her away, never breaking eye contact with Katrina.

When she and her partner got close enough Reaver swooped in. Scooping her up in his arms, he twirled away from the large gentleman and onto the dance floor, pulling her closer to his body that she ever thought possible.

They danced.

The whole time they only had eyes for each other. The world around them was nothing but a blur and Katrina could feel her heart beating in her chest. The could only faintly hear the music and registered it was getting faster and faster.

When The music neared it's end Reaver brought her into a low dip and held her there looking intently into her eyes. Slowly the world around them came back into focus and she could hear the audience clapping for the band. Reaver brought her back up and pulled her close to his body. She could feel the heat of him through their clothes and could hear the raggedness of his breathing.

"I believe the least I could do after such a inouï dance is offer you a drink at the tavern." Reaver said in a hushed tone as he led her off the dance floor not letting her seperate and inch of flesh from his.

"I believe that I will take you up on that offer Mr. Reaver." She whispered back up to him.

The pair made there way to the docks, Katrina on Reaver's arm because the crowd wouldn't allow them to walk down the street so intimately, much to Reaver's annoyance. When they finally made it down to the docks the bustling activity was even greater than the market place had been.

"Ahoy eirigh, conas a raibh sibh?" Called a familiar voice from the crowd.

"Ah Captaen Radley, tá sé mar aois ó Chonaic mé cheana thú." Katrina waved at the captain when she finally spotted him. She headed toward Radley, dragging Reaver behind her. "An raibh do long a fháil díreach isteach port?"

"Aye raibh sé. Caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuil tú tar éis fás ar a laghad ar shiúl na gcos ó chonaic mé go deireanach tú, agus tá sé deas a fheiceann tú i gcuideachta-" Captain Radley looked up at Reaver and stopped mid sentence, his face turning to stone. "I thought you kept better company Katrina."

"She keeps perfect company. You have no need to worry about her." Reaver's face was just as stone cold as the good Captain's and Katrina could have easily sliced the tension in the air with her dagger.

"Do you to know each other?" Katrina asked trying to quell some of the uneasiness between the two men. They just continued to stare each other down as Reaver pulled her closer, earning him a sharper glare from Radley. "Um, I'm guessing that you do?"

"Nay Lass." Radley was the first to speak, "Yer friend just 'as a familar face 'n I couldn' rememeber where I'd seen et. Well 'nways I'll be seeing ye around Lass, I brought some special items 'n I be fixin' ta let ye get first pickings. Stop by when ye aren't busy wit ye company."

Katrina and Reaver watched as the captain hurried off into the crowd and dissappeard amongst the people. Katrina couldn't help but turn to Reaver and found him still staring out to where they had lost the captain.

"Do you want to explain that?" She asked clearing her throat.

"There is nothing to explain mon cherie." Reaver was finally looking down at her face.

"I'm going to have to call hog-wash on that one." Katrina looked at him skeptically and earned a genuine smile from him.

"Mmhmm. Well do you want to explain exactly how many languages you know? It seems that everytime I turn around you're spouting gibberish in a different tongue." Reaver said leading the way further into the people milling about.

"I know many, just like I know much." Katrina replied.

"I must say ma colombe insaisissable, that was a very elusive and enigmatic answer." He cocked his eyebrow quizically as his eyes seemed to probe her for answeres, "But everyone is entittled to their secrets. Cé go Caithfidh mé a rá gur mhaith liom a thaispeáint go léir de do chuid..."

"Wait a minute! You understood us when we were talking? Now who's the one hiding knowledge? How many languages do you speak?" Katrina pushed into him with her shoulder.

"I know many, just like I know much." He laughed as he led her into the tavern.

"That's not fair, using my own words against me." She gave a little pout that made Reaver just want to nibble on her bottom lip.

Katrina was led to a table and sat down as Reaver went up to the bar to get them a couple of drinks. He came back with two mugs filled to the brim with frothy amber liquid and set one down in front of her.

"What is it?" She asked looking at it quizzically. She took a sniff but wrinkled her nose at the repugnant smell.

"You mean to say that you have never had Ale before?" Reaver asked astonished.

"No, I have not had ale before." Katrina snapped back a little defensively only earning a chuckle from her compainion.

"Then It will be a new experience." He said pushing the mug closer to her.

She took a big swig of the liquid and made a face of disgust. "That is horrible!"

"Keep drinking mon chere you soon won't give a damned about the taste." Reaver guzzled his drink and when he put the mug back down half of the ale was gone. Katrina following his lead did the same thing and found he had been right. The taste didn't really bother her anymore.

She drank six mugs of ale, or as Reaver had called them pints, and had a curious feeling over come her. She knew she wasn't in control of her senses and she felt all to warm. she wanted nothing more than to go home and jump into the water. Maybe if she took her clothes off she'd feel better.

"All right mon chere it looks as if you've reached your limit." Reaver stated as he took her drink from her and redid some of the buttons she had just undone.

"Am NoT!...i caN dRiNkAs MucH 'sss yu 'Ne dAy 'f thE wEEk." She slurred as she reached for her drink only to miss and have Reaver grab her hand, hauling her up out of the seat.

"I am sure you can, I bet you could drink even after I have passed out cold on the floor." Reaver lead her through the tables, toward the door of the tavern.

Katrina gasped, "DuN do Da'at, 'll MeSs 'p yEr PreTTy 'air"

It took all of Reaver's strength not to laugh out loud when he heard her say that and then it took all of his strength not to reach for his Dragonstomper when he saw Captain Black Death Radley walk into the bar with his crew.

"CAPP'N!" Katrina practically yelled to Reaver's horror. Just what he needed, scrap on his hands when he had to deal with getting a drunken Katrina home. He had no intention of taking her innocence tonight. It would be too easy. He wanted her to give it to him willingly and sober. He wanted her to remember everysecond of it.

"WHAT 'N BLAZIN' TARNATION DID YE DO TA 'ER REAVA'. YE GOT THE WEE ANGEL DRUNK!?" The Captain bellowed, causing his crew to grow uneasy.

"I am just bringing her back to her home. There is nothing-"

Captain Radley pulled out his pistol on Reaver and the rest of the crew at seeing this followed their captain's lead. "Yu ain't takin' 'er nowhere reava'."

This situation could eaisly go from bad to worse, and even easier from worse to dead if she didn't play her cards right. She had certainly been right about Reaver finding trouble but it never occured to her that she could be dragged into that trouble right along with him and oh to be caught in this situation in such a drunken state...

Reaver ground his teeth together and Katrina could tell it was taking all his self control not to just shoot them all.

"CAPP'N rAdELY! hOW dArE YU PRE'eSUME wHAT Be RIGHT FUR mEH! mR. REavER 'S kNDLY TAkIN' mEH HOmE bEFORE YU! sO rUDelY START'D pOIntING yUR GUns A' uS. nOW If yU'D kINDLY rEMOVE yURSElF fRUM oUR paTh i"D lIK tA be hEADin' 'OME!"

"Are Ye sure lass-" The captain started to ask

"NOW!" She screeched before he could finish. Her body to add emphasis crackled her will to life over her skin causing the captains crew to grow uneasy.

"Ye 'eard 'er boys git outta 'er way." The captain said stepping out of the way, his crew soon followed suite.

Katrina held her head up high and half stomped, half stumbled out of the bar with Reaver following only an arms reach away. Her legs carried her all the way to the edge of town before she collapsed in the sand and retched.

Reaver was by her side in an instant, holding her braid and loose hairs back so she didn't get vomit on them. When she was done Reaver reached into on of his pockets and pulled out a satchel of leaves and offered her some.

"They're mint leaves mon chere . They help the nausia and bad breath. Just chew on them but don't swallow. " He said when she gave him a quizzical look.

"I thought you were the type that would like a girl to swallow." Katrina slurred as she took a couple of leaves and started chewing on them. If she hadn't felt like absolute shit she would have laughed at the look of utter surprise on his face.

Katrina tried to stand but her legs wouldn't hold her so Reaver just scooped her in his arms and started carrying her. She tried to protest but he made it quite clear that she would not be having her way, so she just wrapped her arms around his neck, and legs around his waist and hung on.

Being this close to him like this was almost as intoxicating as the ale. With her face in the crook of his neck she could smell him. His exotic cologne mixed with his sweat and made a completely different scent. Before she realized what she was doing she had her lips against his neck and was planting light kisses all over it.

"Agne. Behave yourself. You don't realize what you are getting yourself into." Reaver half growled half groaned when she placed a kiss right on top of a vein.

"I don't care. This feels..."

Before she could finish her thought she realized she was being placed onto the cool desert sand while Reaver's face hovered in front of hers. She lifted her head and gently placed her lips upon his and gave him a gentle kiss.

He responded by deepening it. By making it more fiery, more passonate and it swept Katrina up like a tidal wave. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with every ounce of emotion that she had in her. Battling tongues and lips with this devilish man.

They finally had to break apart to breathe and hearing his ragged breaths made Katrina want dive in and kiss him all over again but before she could his mouth was on her neck. Sucking. Nibbling. Kissing. He was driving her wild. She writhed her body against his and a groan escaped him.

" Ma petite renarde, you have no idea how much restraint it is taking to keep from ravaging you." Reaver growled huskily into her ear.

"Don't restrain yourself then." Katrina said looking at him through half lidded eyes.

"Oh but I must ma douce tentation, I must. For you see I have a better idea in mind." Reaver cooed.

"Wah-" Katrina couldn't finish because she found Reavers hand had snaked its way down in between her legs and was massaging her flesh through her shorts, earning a moan from her as she arched her body.

His hand felt amazing and to add more insanity into the mixture his mouth went back to work on her neck, tantalizing her nerve endings. His hand started rubbing in circles over one spot and she swore that if he didn't stop she would go insane but she couldn't. It felt too amazing. Then his tongue found a nerve that made her jump and he kept working on that.

The hand and the tongue kept working together and she could feel something building up within her, with every passing moment it grew bigger and bigger and bigger until finally...

"REAVER!" She screamed out when could not take it any longer. This caused him to grind down his hand and bite her neck simultaneously and finally the pressure within her blew. She wrapped her legs around him and bucked her body up against his causing him to give a breathy moan, while she threw her head back and screamed. Her body quivered and she could feel a throbbing between her legs.

After a few moments her body finally calmed itself and she sunk to the ground, her limbs feeling as heavy as boulders.

"I must say agne you are going to have to change your clothes soon, you soaked right through those little shorts of yours..."Reaver's breath was husky in her ear.

"Mmhmm." She didn't care about her shorts right now. She couldn't care if the sky started crumbling to the ground. She felt content...and tired.

As the darkness of sleep wavered in and out she could feel Reaver pick her up again and start to carry her home. She finally let sleep take over her because in his arms she felt safe.


	5. The Fury Of Not Knowing

_ The sea swelled toward the sky and revealed death itself. A mass of fins,horns, gills and teeth smashed one of the docked boats to pieces and sent a surge crashing over the rest of the pier. The beast turned and stared down at the fleeing people with hungry eyes, gnashing its teeth before it lunged-_

Katrina woke up in the library, her head in a fog and pounding. Trying to sit up and almost purged what ever was in her stomach.

"Holy Avo why do you curse me so?" She groaned as she scanned the room, her eyes wishing to gouge themselves out because of the light while she did so, and then they landed on Reaver.

He was spread out on the lounge, his shirt haphazardly hanging off of him and his muscles glistening under a thin sheen of sweat in the morning light. She couldn't help but let her eyes roam over his figure. His perfect, gorgeous figure. Wait a second did she just think that?

As her eyes scanned down she notices an impressive bulge at the fork of his legs and couldn't help but stare. He must have been massive! Katrina had read plenty of books and knew how the mechanics of sex worked but she could not imagine such a thing fitting inside such a small space.

Where was her head at? Why was she worried if it would fit? She would never do _that_ with Reaver. Or would she? No! Never! Never?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and sent her eyes back up to Reaver's face, only to find blue eyes staring back at her. Reaver did nothing but give his mischievous smirk. Her anger at herself boiled over and she threw a fireball right above his head causing him to jump.

"What in the cataclysmal void did you do to me last night?" She growled.

"Oh mon chere if anyone should get angry it should be me. Drinking your fill of my body when I was so vulnerable. Honte à vous." Her blush made his smirk grow even larger.

She plopped herself in the chair she woke up in before she asked "What are we doing in the library?"

"Well did you really want me waking up with you in your room? Again?" Reaver got up from the lounge and slid up behind her. Slowly his hands crept up to her shoulders and started to massage the tension out of them. At first Katrina was rigid but within seconds she melted under his touch. His touch was...was... was orgasmic.

What happened the night before came stampeding back into her mind like a heard of wild cattle through the country side and caused her to blush profusely. Had she really allowed Reaver to touch her like that? Had he really made her orgasm for the first time in her life?

Reaver's hands rubbed across a particularly sensitive spot on the base of her neck and she couldn't help but let out a moan.

"My pleasure to-"

The doors of the library shot open with a crack and Garth stood in the doorway. Katrina could only imagine what his brain was thinking with the scene set out before him. Reaver, practically shirtless, standing behind Katrina, making her moan. Reaver and Katrina could only stare up at Garth like deer caught in the headlights as he charged his lightning spell and hurled it at Reaver.

Katrina quickly threw herself out of the chair and under the desk, while hauling Reaver behind her. Unfortunately the only thing she could get a handful of was his pants and while she yanked him down she heard fabric ripping.

"Mon cher! So eager!" Reaver grinned as he ducked under the desk with her.

"Shut up!" The desk was thrown across the library into the back wall, exposing them in there crouched positions. Katrina shot up and threw Reaver into a wall. Standing in front of him, she charged up her own lightning spell and stared Garth down. "Father, this is NOT what it looks like."

His eyes narrowed at her and he just growled before he hurtled another bolt at Reaver. Katrina sent one of her own flying towards Garth and he threw a shield up just in time to deflect it. Katrina on the other hand took the full force of his spell square in the chest and was sent flying into Reaver who was kind enough to catch her before she landed on her ass, but not kind enough to do so with out copping a feel.

Unfortunately Garth saw it and started flinging spell after spell at Reaver. It was all Katrina could do to keep her shield spell up to protect the two of them. She looked behind her and saw a look on Reaver's face that she was certain very had few had seen and even fewer had lived to tell about. A look of doubt. Whether he doubted he would live through this or he was doubting he could do anything Katrina didn't know or care about at the moment.

She saw Reaver's hand twitch and head towards his hip and a brilliant idea hit her. She snatched the Dragonstomper .48 out of it's holster and aimed it right next to Garth's head.

She pulled the trigger and Garth threw his shield up, but the bullet went right through it and blew up into a ball of lightning and fire.

Garth went flying down the hall at a speed Katrina didn't even know was possible and came to a halt three quarters of the way down. Katrina stormed her way up to him and stopped by his feet.

"Are you done being an... an ass!" She aimed the gun at her father and stared down the barrel. If it came to it could she really pull the trigger? She didn't think so but she prayed she wouldn't have to find out.

A chuckle coming from the floor snapped her out of her thoughts and as she watched Garth started laughing like a mad man. What the hell was going on?

"That was excellent Katrina!" He said getting up and brushing the soot from his coat.

"Huh?" Her spectacular vocabulary was astounding at the moment.

"You passed." Garth smiled at her and all she could do is stare dumbfounded at him.

"That-" She flailed her arms around her "All that was a freaking test."

"Well not all of it." Garth looked glared down the hall as Reaver sauntered over to them, clutching his pants to keep them from falling down around his ankles. He was kind of failing because she could see the top of his pelvic area exposed and she noticed she had left red lines from where her nails had accidentally dug into his skin. Reaver noticed the area where she was looking and gave one of his trademark smirks causing Katrina to glare at him too. Garth's voice brought her attention back to him, "Yesterday I told you to be home or send word by sunset. I didn't receive actions on either of those requests. "

"But vous érudit ennuyeux, we were back well before sunset. While in town your étudiant chérie begged me to teach her the language I so love to dabble in. In her eagerness I was rushed back and thrown into that library and forced to teach her late into the night. I fell asleep from boredom while she read. Chouchou chère here must have fallen asleep over her dusty old tome shortly after. So I don't see where you're qualm lies." Reaver drawled on.

Garth's face clearly let Reaver know that he did not believe a single word that came out of the other man's mouth.

"He's telling the truth father." Katrina chimed in. She was lying to her own father. She had never done that before! She did it so easily too...

Garth believed her in an instant because she had never lied to him before. What reason did he have to start questioning her now?

"Now ma chérie surprenant, may I have my beloved Dragonstomper back?" Reaver held his hand out expectantly.

"I don't know, it is a pretty marvelous gun and I doubt there is one out there that is better..." She said playfully keeping it out of reach.

"I can think of one." Reaver whispered in her ear when she leaned forward and gave his gun back. Luckily Garth hadn't heard that mischievous comment or all hell could have broken loose.

"Reaver, I shall have the servants bring new attire to your room while your clothes are mended." Garth said as he turned and walked down the hall, most likely going to the dining hall to have breakfast. To confirm her suspicion he said, "When you two are changed come join me for a meal. I have much to discuss with you Katrina."

Katrina wearily made it up to her room and was very tempted to just collapse onto her bed but she knew if she did, there was no getting back up.

She heard her door slide open and upon looking up found Sanvia standing in the doorway, her arms crossed while she shook her head.

"Do you know how long it's going to take to clean that mess?" Sanvia smiled as she tucked a strand of Katrina's hair back into place. "But that doesn't matter. I am so proud of you for holding your own in that fight. You have grown into am impressive woman with many skills. Any noble who has a brain in his head will be scrambling to start negotiations for your hand in marriage."

"Luckily for me most of them don't so I won't have to worry about marriage anytime soon." Thank Avo for that Katrina silently prayed.

"It will happen sooner or later my dear." Sanvia sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Katrina started brushing out her hair. When she saw Katrina snag a knot she took the brush from her and started smoothing the wild mass out.

"Sanvia?"

"Yes dear?"

"I wish you could marry Garth."

"You know that a servant can not marry a noble, especially one of the five lanterns." Sanvia said a little sadly.

"I know, but I still wish it..." Katrina stared at the ground as she said this.

"Me too little dove, but I'll settle for what I have and do so happily." Sanvia kept brushing her adopted daughter's hair out until it was tamed, and then started braiding it "I am happy being Garth's wife only in word and having a wonderful daughter even if she isn't from my own womb."

"I'm happy to have a mother that is wiser beyond her years and doesn't look like she could claim half of them." Katrina smiled roguishly.

"You're such a snake charmer with that tongue little one. It could get you out of a royal vault with half the jewels." Sanvia couldn't help but smile back as she stood. "Now make sure to wear your training outfit."

"More tests?" Katrina asked.

"You'll see." Sanvia replied with a grin as she walked out the door.

"How does she know?" Katrina asked herself.

"Because I know everything that goes on in this house." Sanvia replied from halfway down the hall to Katrina's amazement. How the hell did she do that? Humph. Mothers.

After going into the washroom and scrubbing down she returned to her bed room and started donning her training gear. She had to admit that it was quite a comfortable ensemble and it was easy to move in.

She quickly pulled the billowing pants on and cinched the tie at her waist as well as the ones at her knees. Then she put on a breezy shirt and grabbing the supple yet sturdy leather vest she dressed in that as well. She reached in the top drawer of her dresser and threw on her leather fingerless gauntlets with the metal scales that were great at taking the edge off an attack when she blocked. Last but not least she slid on her leather slippers and looked in the mirror.

She was just short of groaning because she knew Reaver would love this outfit. The vest acted like a cinch and made her waist appear slimmer while her breasts seemed to flow over the top of it, making them quite pronounced. The pants, though billowing, did not hide a single asset that she had. They cradled her hips and made sure the eye was drawn to those curves. Even her legs looked sleeker and shapely. When had she gotten such a womanly figure?

She slid open her door and was startled to find Reaver waiting for her by the window in the hall, staring at the scenery.

"Why do you bother to put windows if all the scenery has to offer is sand?" Reaver asked with out turning around.

"Maybe because to some, the openness and sand are beautiful." Katrina stood behind him and locked eyes with his reflection in the glass as he took her appearance in. As suspected he greatly appreciated the outfit. She could show some appreciation for his outfit as well. He made it seem as if he had worn the garb for his entire life and it was just apart of him. A wonderful part that showed off his lean muscles.

"Then I call them fools. I on the other hand am appreciating the view inside the manor." He turned around, eyes roaming over her entire body.

"So I am a fool then?" Katrina inquired.

"No mon chérie. You are just ignorant. This is all you know and have ever known. If you got out to explore the world, you would find it so." Reaver stated as he offered his arm. "Now I believe a good breakfast is in order."

"I don't know if I'll be able to eat. My stomach is still a little queasy." Katrina admitted, cringing at even the thought of food. She was certainly surprised that her head hadn't exploded during her battle with Garth. Remembering Garth also brought back a sting of guilt. "I wish I hadn't lied to Garth."

"And what would you have told him?" Reaver inquired cocking one of his eyebrows up, "That yes you disobeyed him and then on top of that you went to the tavern at the docks, you know mon chérie the one with all the pirates? Got drunk with little ol' infamous me and on the way home let me give you a pleasure you have never experienced before and can't wait to experience again? Don't deny it was necessary mon petite tr˞˞sor, you'll just be lying."

"It wasn't that great." She said sullenly staring at the ground.

"I made you scream my name." Reaver whispered huskily in her ear.

She didn't say a word this time and just looked down at the floor, picking out patterns in the stonework. She knew it was no use arguing with the man. He believed what ever he wanted to.

The two of them walked in companionable silence as they made their way to join Garth in the dining hall. As they turned down one hall Reaver noticed a picture hanging on the wall and stopped to get a better look at it. Katrina didn't even have to look, she knew exactly which one it was. It was the one she drew of her mother.

"Don't look at that. It's horrible, I never should have drawn that." Katrina said as she tried to pull him away by the arm but he didn't budge.

"I thought you never left Samarkand." Reaver stated as he continued to look at it.

"I haven't...why would you say that?" Katrina inquired of him.

"You drew the blind seeress, Theresea was her name I believe, anyway she was neck deep in that whole mess in Albion. She was the one who sent me here with Garth. Though she does look younger in this picture. " Reaver said looking down at Katrina.

"That can't be possible. I drew that from a faint memory I have of my mother..." Katrina furrowed her brows as she stared at the picture. It felt as if the air had escaped her lungs. Something just wasn't sitting right with her. Katrina demanded "Tell me about this Theresea and about what happened in Albion."

"There is nothing to really tell, a crazy man tried to kill the three heroes to power his special tower-"

"The spire?" She remembered reading of a tower in some of Garth's notes...

"The spire, yes that was it. To power the spire so he could make a wish that would have destroyed Albion as we knew it. Theresea was trying to collect the Heroes first, with the help of another Hero, so Lucien couldn't, but he ended up finding us anyway. Almost bloody well killed Garth and I in the process. Hey wait!"

Katrina was barreling down the hallway. Was it possible that this Theresea was her mother? Garth would have told her, wouldn't he? He wouldn't hide something like this from her, would he? No of course not, right? She knew on thing for certain, Garth had some major explaining to do.

She blew into the dining room like a cold wind off of the pier during a storm and stomped up to her father. She looked down at him, hands on her hips, and waited for him to pry his nose out of one of his precious scrolls, which happened to be a great show of her restraint because she really just wanted to incinerate it.

When he finally looked up he knew something was wrong just by the look on her face and rolled up the scroll. He didn't even get a chance to speak.

"Is Theresea my mother?" Katrina blurted out before Garth's brain could get one syllable thought out. "Is she? Did you meet my real mother in Albion? When were you going to tell me? Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you going to let me run around in ignorance? Did you meet my father while you were in Albion too? Are you going to say anything? WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING?"

"I'm waiting for you to breathe so I _can_ speak." Garth replied when she finally did take a breath. "What is this about?"

"I was walking Reaver to the dining hall when he saw the picture I drew of my mother and said that it looked like this Theresea and that the two of you were acquainted. That you were involved in some sort of adventure! I am asking you again is Theresea my mother?" Katrina glared at Garth.

A few moments of tense silence passed between them before Garth continued. "I'm not sure."

"Don't lie to me." Katrina's scowl grew deeper as she growled.

"I'm telling you the truth, I am not sure if it is the same person..."

"How many blind people do you know of running around in this world?" Katrina snapped, "I remember my mother being blind yet being able to navigate around as if she could see clearer than that of a regular person."

"Katrina, let's talk about this later, when we don't have company." Garth said as Reaver finally waltzed his way in.

That was not good enough for her. She turned on her heels and stormed out of the dining hall, out of house, and off of the grounds. She needed to get away, as far away as possible was preferable. She was so furious. She could feel that Garth was hiding something from her.

She must have been moving quickly because she was in the town before she even realized it. She must of looked like she was about to kill because everyone seemed to trip over themselves to get out of her way. Good. She didn't want to have to put up with anyone today. The more space the better. She was so angry she could burst into flames.

Which was quite an accurate description because her arms were in fact engulfed in flames. She must have charged the spell with out even realizing it. With a shake of her arms she extinguished them, much to the relief of every bystander.

She knew she needed to release this pent up aggression and soon. If she didn't, it was likely to just build up until she lashed out at the wrong and probably innocent passerby. She knew just where to go.

She made her way down to the docks where she knew Radley's ship would be docked and sprinted up the gangplank.

"Permission to come aboard?" She asked the nearest sailor when she reached the top.

"Permission granted lass." He replied without even looking up from his task.

She went to the captains quarters just under the the wheel of the helm and knocked sharply.

"Who be disturbin' me rest?" Captain Radley opened the door and found Katrina standing there, "Aye Lass. What can I be doin' for yah?

"I want you to vouch for me at the Ring." Short, quick, and to the point.

"Are ya crazy lass? You'll have the bloody tar kicked outta ya!" Radley exclaimed.

"I'll worry about my tar. I just need you to vouch for me. It will pay well I guarantee it."

The look on her face was enough to keep the Captain from arguing with her further. He knew that look. He'd seen his fair share of it on pirates that were close to the edge of losing control. Something was obviously going on with this lass and he knew she needed to bloody her knuckles to make herself feel better.

"Aye come on then." He stepped out closing the door behind himself and lead the way.

He took her down a maze of alleyways, going this way and that. She knew he was trying to get her disorientated so she'd never find her way on her own. The key word was trying. She knew this city like the back of her hand, but she let him believe that he was succeeding.

They finally stopped at a door that was in the wall surrounding the city and knocked on it three times. Someone responded with two knocks of their own and then the Captain kicked the bottom of the door. Apparently this was the correct sequence because the door swung open and the the guard offered no resistance when they entered.

The two of them headed down a set of dim stairs that seemed to go on forever and Katrina was worried that if either of them fell, they'd break their necks, amongst other bones to say the least.

She heard the chants and grunts before she smelled the stale alcohol and sweat. She could even smell the sharp copper scent of blood.

When they turned the corner she found herself in a large room filled with bodies shoving against each other to get a better view of the brawling combatants. She stood on her tip-toes to try and see over the mass of men but couldn't see a thing.

Radley led her over to the bar and grabbed himself a stool. He waved at the bartender. While he was dealing with the bartender she listened into some of the gossip that was going on around her.

"Did you hear about the Scarlet Lantern?" The speaker was a seasoned sailor dressed in green that had a scar over his lip. He was speaking to a tradesman that had a stall in the market. Katrina, curious, kept listening in.

"You mean Minstrels Bay?" Said the tradesman

"Yea, did you hear about the Kraken that attacked?" The sailor took a sip of his brew for dramatic effect.

"No, What happened?

"It completely destroyed the pier and every ship in dock. It even destroyed a ton of buildings that were near the water front!" The sailor leaned closer as he said it.

"No way. Did they kill it?" The tradesman asked, eyes wide with concern.

"Nay. It got away and disappeared in the sea. Then a ship that docked today said that it saw it not to far away from here!"

A Kraken is it. Foul creatures of the sea. Not very often do they come close to shore. This one must have been bold. Or desperate. Though Katrina couldn't see a behemoth like a Kkraken getting desperate. One of their sneezes could take out an entire fleet. Do Kraken's even sneeze?

"Aye lass, you're in. It took quite a bit o' convincing but he's going ta 'llow it. Ye best win too. I put all me money on ya." Radley said placing a hand on her shoulder and leading her to the ring, shoving bodies out of the way. "Move it ye lousy brutes."

When she was ringside she saw two large men beating each other to a pulp in a walled in circle. The other men cheering and catcalling as they sloshed beer all over themselves and others. Finally one of the combatants was felled with a powerhouse hit right to the side of the head and had to be dragged out of the ring in an unconscious heap. Her eyes went back to the middle of the ring when the bar tender threw his arms up in the air and announced the winner. He then proceeded to introduce her.

"Appearing for the first time in the Ring, endorsed by Black Death Radley himself, give a good cheer for the native Katrina!"

She jumped over the wall and into the ring when she heard her name. Once the men saw her she received a raucous round of laughter and guffawing at her expense and unfortunately Radley was also heckled by the crowd.

"What are ye thinkin Radley? Sendin' this poor girl off to her doom. Have you gotten so old that you 'ave to send a girl ta do yer biddin?" One of the men tittered in between bouts of laughter.

"If ye be thinkin' this lass is so weak then why don' you go in and fight 'er?" Radley countered. Giving a smirk.

"I can't fight a lil girl. Bwahaha. She wouldn't last a second"

"Or is it you _won't_ fight a girl because she'll kick yer crying arse all the way back to yer whore mother?" Katrina egged the man on, hoping to incite his anger. She received help from the rest of the room with their badgering of him to go in and show her.

It worked. He threw his ale to the ground causing the glass to shatter and jumped over the wall. The bartender started calling for bets in the background. When he was a few feet away he growled at her "Nobody talks 'bout me mum."

"But I bet everyone enters her." She sneered.

All bets were closed because no sooner had the words passed her lips than the fight was on. He came charging at her, swinging wildly.

She easily dodged under his arm when he got close enough and his momentum sent him crashing into the wall, much to the amusement of the crowd, who were heckling him as he turned around for another charge.

This time she didn't dodge. She let him get right in her face. She threw her forearms up to guard and they took the brunt of the punch. With reflexes like lightning she quickly grabbed the mans wrists and held his arms to the side, leaving his entire chest and face open for attack. She wound up and slammed her forehead into his face, feeling bones crunch under the force.

He fell in a heap to the ground, blood pouring out of his nose and all she heard was the silence of the crowd.

"Clean this mess up and give me my next opponent. Unless you little girls wanna hide behind your mother's skirts." The crowd roared back to life. Laughing, jeering, whistling. She thought she even heard one man call out a marriage proposal, earning a smile and laugh from her. That only made the crowd more boisterous and men started lining up to fight her. One man even had the audacity to slap her rump when she walked past to get herself some water, earning a punch in the face from her, much to the merriment of his companions.

When the bets were closed the next fight began and this man was much more cautious than the previous. He did not come charging in like an insulted drunk. He kept his guard up and circled her, looking for an opening. She kept facing him, her arms to her sides, watching to see if he'd make a move.

He finally worked up the nerve and sent a right jab to where her face had been seconds ago but she had already moved. She twirled around him and ended up behind him. Picking him up she flipped him over and sent him flailing into the crowd. She waved her hand, summoning the next contestant, or sorry sod, which ever way you looked at it.

Her next opponent was a brute of a man. At least twice her size and probably more, he stood a good two heads taller than her. The crowd called her doom and told "Gunner" to go easy on her. She knew she had to stay away from his fists or they would do some serious damage, but she also knew that speed was on her side.

The bartender called the start of the fight and Gunner took a few steps toward her, causing her to skitter a few steps back to keep space between them. She started to circle around toward his back but he made sure to keep his front toward her. They did this dance for a few seconds before Gunner lashed out with more speed that she expected and almost snatched her. She quickly jumped out of the way only to have a second attack coming right after the first. She rolled out of the way of that one and ended up to his side. She gave a quick forceful punch to his ribs, causing him to grunt, before she bounced back a safe distance. He turned to her and smiled, enjoying the fact he was in a fight that he didn't have to hold back his strength.

He sent his fist flying at her again in the same manner as the first time and she went to jump out of the way again, only this time he had anticipated this. His other hand was waiting and snatched her up, pulling her up into his chest. He put her into a big bear hug and started to squeeze with all his strength, earning cracks of protest from her spine.

She cried out when he kept squeezing even tighter. The crowd yelled and gibed in the background. She could hear Radley's worried voice telling the bartender to call the fight off.

Katrina was pissed and Gunner was going to pay. No one had a right to doubt her.

She dug her heels into Gunner's hips and pushed. She slid out of his clutch just enough to free her arms before he tightened his hold even more but it didn't matter, she achieved what she needed to do. Taking the heels of her palms she slammed them on either side of his head, right over his ears with all her strength.

Gunner released her putting his hands to his head, which was ringing something awful, and staggered back a few steps. Katrina landed lithely on her feet and sprinted toward him. Using his leg as a lift, she jumped off of it and into the air. Spinning around rapidly she sent a out a kick that connected with his head with a dull thud.

Gunner collapsed to his knee's as Katrina landed and looked at her. He gave her a smile as he collapsed face first into dirt, snoring before he even connected.

Katrina watched as a couple of workers dragged Gunner out of the Ring with a great deal of difficulty and waved for the next opponent.

The man was pushed into the Ring by his drinking buddies. Clearly terrified to even be within an arms reach of her. When the bartender called the start of the fight she just took a single step toward him. He cried out in fear, hurling himself over the wall and out of the ring so he didn't have to fight earning the braying laughter of everyone, even herself.

This time when she signaled for her next opponent, no one entered the ring.

"Are you all so scared of a little girl half your size? The gods must be fond of jokes to allow you to be called men! I should throw dresses on the lot of you and send you to the whore house!" Katrina ridiculed them with out mercy and with great mirth.

"Then I guess I shall have to stand up for their right to call themselves men, won't I ma bête sauvage." A familiar voice called from the bar. The crowd parted and she could see Reaver leaning against the bar, a pint in his hands.

She hadn't realized it but during all the fighting she had lost all of her anger. Seeing Reaver though made it come thundering back to her with even more force than before. Her body shook from the rage as her glare bore holes into him. Katrina waved him into the ring and turned her back to him. She needed to calm herself or she would get herself injured by just charging in like a bull.

She heard him nimbly jump over the wall and turned to him. Her heart nearly jumped into her throat. He had removed his shirt in order not to soil it and she could see every muscle across his well defined chest. She couldn't help but give a little swallow.

Unfortunately Reaver noticed, like he notices every little thing that gives away what she is thinking, and smirks at her with a devious look in her eyes.

"Your name sir?" The bartender asked.

"Reaver, the pirate king." Reaver stated, in a voice loud and clear, letting the whole crowd hear. Which Katrina just noticed had gotten a lot larger than when she first came in.

Murmurs and whispers spread through the place like wild fire. The bartender looked startled and gave a glance toward Katrina, accessing the situation to see if he should allow it.

"This fight either happens in here or on the street, why not host it so you can make a little money." Katrina stated to the man with out even sparing him a look. She was too busy staring down Reaver. It startled her how badly she wanted her fist to connect to his pretty little face or for her to rip him to shreds. Her blood lust startled everyone except Reaver, which only fueled it more.

The bartender nodded his head and started collecting bets, while Katrina and Reaver just stared each other down. The tension between them and the malice that Katrina sent his way could be felt by everyone in the room.

The bartender didn't even finish the signal to start the fight before she was flying like a banshee toward Reaver, sending a flurry of fists straight at the smug face of his.

With equal speed Reaver's hands flew up and buffeted them to the side to negate their damage. It was clear to her that Reaver had the upper hand in speed and he proved just that when, after defecting one of her punches, he punched her square in the chest causing her to be pushed back a few feet.

The two started circling each other trying to elicit a strategy that would subdue the other. She knew Reaver's speed was greater than her own and she could not use that against him. She couldn't use her will either, that would be cheating. That left her strength. She knew her strength was far superior than Reaver's but the wind up would also make her slower, leaving her open to Reaver's speed.

When she looked up she knew that he had come to that conclusion too. He knew he had the upper hand. His face showed that he was so confident that it was on the verge of being cocky and it did nothing to quell her anger.

She made her move and feinted to the left, charging up her punch as she did so. When Reaver moved to block that side she quick adjusted and slammed her fist into his right side. It sent him staggering into the wall and Katrina followed winding up another powerhouse but he sent his leg out in a twirling kick. It sent her tumbling in the dirt before she rolled back onto her feet.

Reaver was picking himself off of the wall and checking where she had hit him. She got a great deal of satisfaction when she saw that he was already bruising from the hit, it was possible she had even fractured some ribs.

"Lucky shot mon chérie." Reaver said with annoyance clearly written all over his face.

"Luck didn't have a thing to do with it. That was all skill." She shot back defiantly, throwing one of his trademark smirks right back at him, which only annoyed him more.

"The last person who landed a hit on me is dead." Reaver glared at her.

"Well seeing as you don't have your little gun to hide behind, I'm not too worried." She sneered baring her teeth.

"If you think I need my gun to win brawls, then you're an imbecile." He earned a snort from her as he said these words.

Reaver charged. It was his turn to send punch after punch in her direction and all she could do was spend her energy on dodging , hoping that he would slow or mess up. Rather than him messing up, she did. He took full advantage of it and sent his fist into her ribs.

Her ribs gave an audible crack and she gasped as the pain nearly blinded her. She jumped a few feet back to get some breathing room but he was not going to let that happen. He sent another punch at her with more force than the others and she barely managed to spin out of the way. It created an opening for her though and she took it. Using her momentum and against the protest of pain in her side, she smashed her fist into the square of his back, knocking him to his knees. She didn't waste a second. She swung her leg up into the air and sent it crashing toward the back of Reaver's skull.

His hand snatched her leg before it connected and he hurled her into the wall. When her head stopped spinning, she looked at him and she saw a murderous look on his face as he stood. He stalked toward her, his eyes never leaving hers. She instantly shot to her feet and started moving away from him.

She couldn't handle another assault. Her ribs were getting worse by the minute and were starting to freeze up. It was making her speed suffer greatly and she couldn't properly beef up one of her punches. This fight was going to end soon and what she did in the next few seconds would decide if she won or lost.

Reaver knew it too and he was especially cautious, making Katrina's task all the more difficult. Her brain was coming up with strategy after strategy but she knew Reaver could easily counter every one of them. She had to do something he would never suspect.

She charged.

She charged straight at him, catching him unawares for a brief second but that is what she had prayed for. She made it look like she was doing the same attack as before and he prepared himself by protecting his side but she didn't feint this time. Reaver scrambled to block his front. As he was doing this though Katrina was bringing her knee up and slamming it into his right side again and this time she got to hear his ribs crack. She carried on her attack by bringing her other leg up and smashing her knee into the side of his head. She then used her momentum and pushed herself off of Reaver's back and sent him sprawling into the dirt as she landed a few feet away.

The cheers of the crowd was almost deafening and she turned to scan the people.

That was her mistake. Reaver got up and when she finally looked back at him, he was already in her face. She tried to jump back but it was too late and his momentum carried them both to the ground. He sat atop of her, straddling her so she couldn't get away, punching her in the ribs again and again.

"Submit." Reaver sneered at her as he added pressure to her broken ribs.

"Never!" She gasped from the pain.

"Submit!" Reaver said a little bit louder and with more force.

"No!" Katrina's eyes were filled with tears that spilled out of the corners.

"SUBMIT!" Reaver shouted at her, coming down on her ribs with his full force.

"NEVER!" She sobbed at the pain and in the haze of it she sent her fist flying at his face to have bone connect with bone. She felt a liquid dripping on her face and she vaguely realized it was his blood. This renewed a little vigor in her and she sent another fist at his face. Then another and another.

Then suddenly the pressure was gone, as was the weight of Reaver. She looked around and found Reaver lying a few feet from her.

"I submit." He said raising his hand into the air, " The abruti doesn't know when to quit and I have no wish to kill such a spirited creature."

The crowd cheered, for who Katrina didn't care. She knew Reaver was the real winner but she was too stubborn to quit. He could have easily killed her if it had been a real fight. If he hadn't been holding back.

Yes she knew he was holding back as soon as she felt his first punch. He could have destroyed her without breaking a sweat but he had just toyed with her, even letting her land punches that he had known would hurt. She was no more a worthy opponent to him than a fly.

She slowly stood up, the room spinning as she did so. She took a second to get her orientation and located the door. The noise of the crowd falling to the background. She made her way out of the ring, using the walls as supports.

"You...need...help?" Said a voice she had never heard before. It was simple and slow but it held power behind it. She couldn't help but think that if the earth had a voice that it would sound exactly like that. She turned and found Gunner standing next to her looking concerned.

"I'll be fine...Gunner was it?" she asked. He nodded his head in confirmation. "That was an awesome fight you gave me, any one you protect should be honored to have a fighter like you on their side."

She left him smiling and made her way for the exit. With no other interruptions she went up the stairs. She did earn a curious glance from the guard when he opened the door for her. She stumbled out into the streets, heading toward the pier.

Every step was agonizing but she wanted to make sure no one saw her. She ducked into a dead little garden that no one used anymore and sat on the stone bench.

"Where are you running off to mon chérie?" Reaver's voice came from behind her. Without even thinking about it she charged up a lighting spell and just as quickly heard the hammer of his gun cocked into place.

"Sit down." She said with a sigh of defeat as she powered down her spell. He clicked the hammer back into it's non hostile position and did as she said. With great difficulty she turned toward him and placed her hands over his ribs. Her hands became enshrouded with a white light as she focused her Will to heal him. After a few moments she had completely healed all of his wounds and he sat there watching as she started healing her own.

"Just so you know, I wasn't holding back as much as you think I was. You put a good fight. Though how could you win against a master like moi?" Reaver said when she gave a particularly fierce scowl as she healed her ribs. She just snorted in response. When she had finished healing herself she sent a fist flying at Reaver for no reason she could easily discern except for she was being a sore loser.

He caught it with ease and yanked her against his chest. He trapped her in his arms as she straddled his lap feeling the bulge she had been admiring earlier this morning. All she could do was look up at him with wide eyes as she tried to pull away. She couldn't get away though, he had one arm wrapped around the small of her back and the other across her shoulder blades, which effectively pinned her arms between their bodies.

She quickly sent her gaze down under half lidded eyes as a blush crept over her cheeks. He gave a chuckle as he repositioned her, but in his doing so it caused her to rub against him, and his chuckle became a soft groan.

Her blush intensified as she felt the heat of him through his pants. She was slightly amazed that all that kept it hidden away was a layer of cloth or two at the most. With out even realizing what she was doing she ground her hips against his.

" Mon chérie, don't do that." He hissed. Of course when Katrina "heard don't do that "her hips automatically ground into his once again earning a growl from him as he savagely laid claim to her mouth.

There was nothing gentle about this kiss. It contained pure need and animalistic want as he shoved his tongue in to ravage her mouth into submission. The only thing she could do was grab fistfuls of his shirt and dig her nails into his chest as he pulled her even tighter to his body, which earned a whimper from her as he explored every inch of her mouth.

Her tongue danced with his in a duet of dominance and attempted dominance. She tried to assert control over him but his skill far exceeded her own and finally she fell into submission to his administrations, making her whimper again as he growled once more.

His bulge was as hard as it was hot now and she couldn't help the warmth that was starting to spread in her lower stomach. Reaver could tell that she was almost as aroused as he was and using his arm crushed her hips against his once more, eliciting a moan from her as well as himself. Katrina couldn't stop her body from shuddering at the pleasure and she couldn't stop as her hips did it again of their own violation.

Reaver claimed her lips once more and this time Katrina fell into submission right away, letting Reaver have his way with her mouth. She continued to drill her hips into his, making them both moan into each others mouths, their hot breath mingling as they kissed.

This went on for... minutes? Hours? Days? Katrina didn't know nor did she care. She just wrapped herself up in the pleasure and continued until Reaver took a hold of her hips, keeping them in place.

"Mon chérie you need to stop." He huskily breathed into her ear.

"No..." She half demanded, half whimpered.

"Yes mon chérie." He whispered more forcefully, earning a frustrated groan from her. He couldn't help but chuckle at her and reach for the edge of her pants.

Before she even knew what was happening Reaver's hand was in her pants running along the slit in between her legs. She let out a cry of surprise and pure pleasure as he continued going back and forth.

"Have you ever put your own fingers down there to pleasure yourself mon chérie?" He asked breathlessly, never stopping his handiwork. All Katrina could do was shake her head no as her hips moved with his hand. She wanted more but she didn't know what that was.

Reaver did. Slowly he slid one of his digits into her entrance and wiggled it around as his thumb did circular motions over her clitoris. Katrina almost jumped out of her skin from the spike of pleasure it sent through her body and almost died of pure ecstasy when he started pumping that finger in and out of her.

She could feel that familiar pressure building quickly and knew she was going to come soon. Her hips grinding against his erection and finger, she set the pace, gradually growing faster and faster, her lips smashed against his as she let out breathy moans.

"Reaver..." She looked into his half lidded blue eyes and then Reaver hit it. That one spot that made the pleasure too much to bear. The explosion of pure rapture wracked through her entire body and her thighs clenched up, driving her into him. He hissed as he quickly covered her mouth with his own to keep her from screaming and she mewled into his lips from her orgasm. Her mewls turned into whimpers, which turned into heavy breathing.

Reaver pulled his hand out of her pants and his finger was covered in her fluids. He looked at it and then his tongue darted out, licking it up, as he practically purred with pleasure.

"Stop that." Katrina said slightly horrified and slightly aroused again. She went to move and Reaver's free hand grabbed her hips.

"Don't move mon chérie or we will have an even bigger mess to deal with." He said in a way that Katrina figured that was the closest he ever came to a whine. Then she realized that his erection was still under her, bigger and hotter than before, and it actually felt like it was throbbing.

She didn't think. She just slid off of him and kneeled in front of him, right between his legs. She reached up and untied the strings of his pants. Ever so carefully she pulled his erection out and looked up at him.

He stared at her with his gorgeous blue eyes, his breathing ragged and his body giving little quivers of excitement. She looked back at his erection and was amazed at the size of it. A primal side of her urged her to lick it and she obeyed, licking it from the base of his body all the way to the tip.

She looked up again to gauge his reaction and he stared at her intensely. His body was rigid and he held onto the edge of the bench with such force that his knuckles were white. His hips bucked ever slightly toward her and she couldn't help but smile. She licked him once more.

"Don't tease me so mon chérie, I am at your mercy." He groaned in a mixture of pleasure and frustration but she didn't pay him any mind. She was going to explore this as much as she could.

She took her tongue and started swirling it around the tip, causing Reaver to twitch and moan. When she thought he was just about to grab her head and force himself in she took his tip in her mouth, sucking slightly.

He sucked a breath in before he gave a ragged chuckle. Katrina could tell it was taking all of his will from having his way with her mouth and she rewarded him for being such a good boy. She leaned forward and took his whole member in her mouth, then pulled back until she only had the tip. She kept doing this as Reaver's panting grew heavier and his cock grew thicker.

"Mon chérie!" He cried out as he laced his fingers in her hair and thrust up into her mouth releasing his seed in a burst, causing her to almost choke at the vast quantity of it. She pulled away and quickly swallowed before she coughed. Making him ask, "You swallowed?"

"Why? Was I not supposed to?" She looked up at him with eyes wide, thinking she might have done something wrong.

"No. You could swallow if you wanted, comme une pute bon petit, but most women don't." He said through heavy pants as he put himself away. She quickly averted her eyes, the delirium of the moment fading away, causing her inhibitions to come back in full force.

Reaver's fingers guided her face back to his and he kissed her, deep, long and passionately. She couldn't help but whimper into his lips as he intensified it. When they pulled away from each other slightly she mumbled into his lips "If we keep this up, we'll never get out of this garden."

"I could think of much worse things." He smiled into her lips. She cleared her throat and pulled away as she stood up. The smile never leaving his face. She turned around and walked over to the doorway, checking down the street to see if there was anyone around who might have heard them, causing Reaver to mischievously say, "You know when you saunter away like that it just makes me want bend you over this bench and have my way with you..."

Katrina didn't say a word. She just looked at the ground as a blush covered her cheeks. What the hell could she say to that?

Reaver came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. One hand cupped her breast and started massaging it while the other snaked its way down her pants and began rubbing her clitoris again. She leaned against the wall and couldn't help but moan as he kept touching her.

"Let me take you. Right here. Right now. I'll have you scream my name so loud the whole town will hear it." Reaver whispered in her ear before running his tongue along it.

"No!" Katrina said as she pulled away from him, "I don't want to lose my virginity in some dead garden where anyone could walk in on us."

"But you are saying I have a chance with you mon chérie?" He cooed.

"No!" She practically squeaked, earning a little chuckle from him as well as a large smile. She couldn't take much more of this. She felt like a mouse caught in the hypnotizing gaze of a snake that was just about to strike and swallow her whole. She quickly walked out onto the street and started heading to the pier. A few seconds later she heard Reaver's footsteps right behind her and she couldn't help but look back at the man.

He was staring back at her so intently that she almost gasped. His eyes seemed to be looking into her, body and soul. Calculating what kind of primal and carnal pleasures he could torment her with next. His eyes twinkled with merriment as he nodded his head to something in front of her.

She walked into a wall before she could turn around and correct her path causing Reaver to laugh as he came up to her side. She blushed out of pure embarrassment and got quite angry with herself for being so dumb. Who goes around walking into walls?!

Reaver took her by the arm and led her away. She couldn't help but feel an electrical charge pass between them where ever they touched.

"Do you mind not shocking me?" Reaver asked with out even looking down at her.

"Huh?" Did he feel it too?

"You're quite literally shocking me. With your spell. Do you mind?" He asked nodding down at their intertwined arms. Katrina looked down and saw it was true. She quickly extinguished the spell with a quick apology and a blush returning to her cheeks. Boy was she just making an ass of herself today.

"Do you always get this flustered around men?" He asked giving her a coy little smirk.

"Nope, I usually just punch them." She said shrugging her shoulders. He just shook his head with a laugh. "What?"

"Do you have any training in the womanly graces? I would think so after seeing Sanvia. She is the model of etiquette and charm." They continued to stroll for a little bit.

"Yes. I can be perfectly charming if I wish but I personally think it's annoying. It's a bunch of rules you have to memorize that people just made up, hoping you would break them just so they could find fault with you and treat you like crap." She paused a moment, annoyed that she was even talking about the subject of her manners. "It's just a bunch of pretentious stiffs trying to get control over you even if it is just that little bit more."

Reaver actually threw back his head and laughed. He couldn't believe this child could see through the smokescreen that was politics already. "And what would your social etiquette entail?"

"Be honest and don't cause harm to others. It's simple. If people would just follow those two things then a lot of conflicts wouldn't even happen in the first place. Then if everyone respected each others differences the rest of the issues would disappear. Poof! No more fighting and everlasting peace."

"Why, do you think that people don't do that in the first place?" Katrina couldn't help but get the impression that he actually wanted to know the answer. That he wasn't just feigning interest for her sake.

"Because of this "me first" syndrome. Every one wants to be on top...to...to be superior. To be the one controlling everyone else." They walked past a fish stall that had a barrel of crabs and she stopped him. "Look at this."

"It's a barrel of crabs. What's so interesting about it?" Reaver said looking at the barrel.

"Do you see a lid on it?" Katrina asked giving a little shrug of her shoulder.

"No..."

"Then what is keeping the crabs in there when you can clearly see that they are capable of climbing up the sides?" She tilted her head to the side as she asked him this. He peered over the barrel and saw that she was right. The crabs could easily climb up the sides. He shrugged his shoulders and she continued, "It's because they pull each other back down."

Reaver looked back at the barrel and saw that she spoke the truth. When ever one of the crabs nearly reached the top the ones below it would grab it and try to climb over it, causing it to tumble back to the bottom of the barrel after being so close to freedom.

"Humans do the same exact thing though they try to make sure it's not so obvious as this, and as they do this to each other they hope and pray and try to calculate how to end up on top." She picked up a crab that was scuttling away after crashing to the ground, and handed a bit of money to the fisherman, "And then there are the very few who succeed only to, most times, be thrown back into the barrel by some other unforeseen force."

"It seems I have a philosophe on my hands." Reaver stated as they began walking to the water front once again. Katrina carried the crab she had just bought, her thumb rubbing against the rim of his shell in an absent minded manner.

"I have to be the furthest thing from a philosopher." She noticed his impressed look, "I take it I guessed that word correctly?"

"You did. I thought you did not understand my jabbering?"

"I'm starting to pick up words here and there. Some even sound similar in other languages, so it's basically a string of guesswork on my part." She gave him a smile. "Wait here a second."

He obliged her as she hopped down the stonework of the pier and made her way to the water. When she finally got to the shore line she put her crab down and wished him luck in his second chance at a good life. That's when she noticed something odd.

"Do you hear anything?" She asked, turning to a little old man scuffling his way along the shore.

"Nah Girlie, I don't hear a thing." He said after pausing for a second to listen. "What seems to be bothering you?"

"The fact that it's too quiet..."

The sea swelled toward the sky and revealed death itself. Katrina's stomach dropped and her heart jumped into her throat in less than a second as a mass of fins,horns, gills and teeth smashed one of the docked boats to pieces, sending a surge crashing over the rest of the pier. Katrina grabbed the little old man as she threw up a shield spell and protected him as the water pummeled them into the rocks of the pier. If she hadn't had her spell up the two of them would have been shattered into a thousand pieces.

As the water retreated she hauled the old man to the top of the pier and left him next to one of the buildings that had survived the initial attack, telling him to stay right there. She turned around and scanned the area accessing the situation. The had beast turned and stared down at the fleeing people with hungry eyes, gnashing its teeth before it lunged straight at Reaver.

Her heart almost stopped as the beast sent a tentacle crashing down where he had been standing and soared when she saw him roll out of the beasts way. Firing his weapon at the Kraken's eye, his attack found it's mark, causing the behemoth to bellow in pain and rage.

Katrina was tired of watching. She charged her lightning attack as she ran along the pier to Reaver's side, hurling bolt after bolt at the monster, causing it to be torn between attacking her and attacking Reaver. To her dismay it then remembered it had multiple limbs that it could send in multiple directions and she had to do a forward roll to keep from being crushed.

She took advantage of this and jumped on top of its tentacle, using it as a run way that lead straight to the core of the beast. She hurled lighting bolts at its head and finally received it's full attention. It turned it's one huge eye toward her and she knew she had made a mistake out of running on its arm.

It flung her high into to air. Higher than any human was ever supposed to go but she couldn't help but be amazed at the land spread out before her. She had seen through a birds eyes as no one had ever done before, but what goes up, must come down.

She started to fall back down toward the earth and she saw the Kraken was waiting. She saw Reaver staring up into the sky as she fell, pumping round after round into the monster but never getting it's attention. Katrina twisted her body as she fell, putting her feet back underneath her, and braced herself for the impending attack.

When she got close enough the Kraken batted her out of the air in the same manner a cat might bat at a flying insect and she was lucky to put up a shield spell right before the attack. The force sent her hurtling into a building with so much speed that she smashed into the stone and left an imprint of her body. So much for healing her broken ribs earlier, now she had even more broken bones. The Kraken didn't give her time to breathe as it sent an arm crashing down after her.

She was going to die. She knew it too and in that brief second she was O.K. with it. She gave a smile as the shadow of the beast covered everything and she closed her eyes.

It must have been quick because she didn't feel a thing. Though realization soon seeped in when she noticed that she was still in pain from her broken body.

When she opened her eyes she thought that she could have been mistaken because what she saw was amazing. Columns of light came from the sky and pillars of fire shot from the ground, tearing the Kraken to pieces. It screamed and bellowed as the mysterious magic moved through it, searing it's flesh away.

The magic went inside the Kraken and built itself up until, coiling around itself over and over until the Kraken burst into a fine mist of once living tissue. Then just as suddenly as the magic had appeared, it disappeared.

Katrina laid her head back against the stone letting out a sigh. It seems she would live to see another day, but what in the gods names was that?

" Mon chérie?" She heard Reaver's voice to her side but she didn't have the energy to look. She needed to save her energy so heal herself.

"What Reaver?" Katrina tried to make it sound like she was snapping at him but she just couldn't seem to pull it off.

"What was that?" She couldn't quite put her finger on the emotion in his voice.

"I don't know. Did you see where it came from?" Katrina asked.

"You surely must be jesting at my expense." Katrina peeked at him from under a half lidded right eye, raising her eyebrow in inquiry. Then Reaver stated "That magic came from you."

Both her eyes were open now and she stared him square in the face. She didn't believe a word of it. She could never cast something so powerful. That was the work of the divines!

Sitting up she focused her Will to mend her injuries and gave a slight start when she could hear her bones snapping back into place. When she was finished to took a deep breath with no problems and stood up. Reaver was by her side watching her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking though because he hid his emotions behind a mask.

"You surely are jesting with me when you say that magic came from me." Katrina said after a moment of silence.

"If you don't believe me then turn around." Was all that Reaver said. She did. What Katrina saw stunned her into silence. She could clearly see the imprint of her body in the stone but it was what was around it that amazed her. On the left hand side the stone was scorched blacker than a murder's soul and on the right the stone was basically turned into shining rays of diamond it was so pristine. She could clearly see that whatever had caused it had been right in the middle of it. Right where she had been.

"That's not possible..." Katrina slowly turned to Reaver in disbelief. She still could not wrap her head around it...her doing something that amazing?

"Oi! Girlie!" Katrina and Reaver both turned to the voice that called out and saw the little old man that Katrina had saved come shuffling up to them. Much to Katrina's surprise Gunner as walking meekly behind the old man. "I need to know the name of the one who saved me."

"Oh, my name is Katrina. May I ask you of yours?"

"Colt, Samuel Colt. This here's my grandson Gunner." Colt tossed his thumb over his shoulder to point Gunner out, as if there were any question of whom he might be talking about.

"Gunner and I have met already." Katrina said sending a smile toward Gunner. She then noticed that a group of the towns people were heading their way, one of which seemed to be carrying something. When they got a few feet away from her they stopped.

"Katrina. We found some things that we thought you would like to keep as a trophy." Unter was the one who spoke. He was a merchant that she visited quite often, so much so that they were on a first name basis.

"Neat. What did you find?" Katrina was actually quite curious. Instead of responding he sent his daughter forward. She was carrying two objects, one black and one white. As she stepped forward she was shaking uncontrollably from fear causing Katrina to state. "Nana it's me."

Nana dropped the items and ran back to the group, hiding behind her father. Reaver tsked under his breath as he strolled forward and picked up the items. He held them up to inspect them as he walked back to Katrina's side and handed them to her.

"They're Kraken's teeth." Reaver said as she was looking them over absent mindedly. Katrina had known Nana since she was a baby. Was Nana afraid of her now because of the strange power? She was the same Katrina.

"Thank you all very much." She mumbled, distracted by the fact that someone she had known for their entire life was afraid of her. When she looked up it hit her. They were all afraid of her. They rushed to get away from her. They made sure not to get to close her. She was the source of their fear.

"Oi. Katrina. I have a proposition for you." It took her a moment to realize that the old man was talking to her.

"Mm and what would that be?"

"I'm a gunsmith, a famous one at that, but I've been retired for a while. Any who, those teeth would make some mighty fine weapons and as a thank you for saving my hide back there I would be more than happy to make 'em for you." Colt gave her a gapped tooth smile.

"How does she know you're any good? What are some other gun models you've done?" Reaver chimed in with a bored expression. He obviously did not believe Colt.

"Well sonny, if I heard right in all that ruckus, I'd say you're very intimate with my work." Colt shot Reaver a smug look.

"You can't honestly expect me to believe that." Reaver basically looked down his nose at the guy, "I'm willing to wager you don't even know what gun I own."

"Now listen here sonny, those Dragonstomper .48's are my life's blood and I made 'em for a select few special individuals. Just by hearing you shoot that gun during that fight I can even tell you that it is the fourth one I made and where I hid a special symbol that was a private message to the person who that gun was made for. So don't go badgering me to see if I know my guns boy." Colt gave Reaver an icy stare that seemed like it could put daggers through a soul. Reaver had to admit the old man had him on this one.

"I would like that." Katrina said as she handed the teeth to Colt.

"There's just one thing I need you to do." Colt said to her

"And here's the catch." Reaver mused, and Katrina couldn't be sure but she thought she saw him roll his eyes.

"What would that be?" Katrina asked him.

"What will you be naming these babies?" Colt looked into her eyes and Katrina could swear she could see knowledge of ancient times floating in his stare.

"What do you mean? Don't you have to make them before I name them?"

"Nay girlie, do you wait for a baby to pop out before you name 'em. No. You name 'em while they're still growin' inside. You do the same thing for a special gun. Look at these teeth and listen to them. They'll tell you their own names." Colt held the teeth up to her and for the first time she got a real look at them. The white one wasn't truly white. It was a bright white that other whites zigzagging through out the surface of it. Like lighting. The black one was mostly black with shades that were lighter and darker that gave it a texture that reminded her of charcoal.

"Love strikes as fast as lighting and leaves you in a daze," She said as she placed her hand on the white one. Then she turned to the black one, "Hate slowly consumes all and burns it away."

"Good names girlie. Powerful names. Simple names. Names that people will remember when they remember you." Colt nodded his head in approval.

"Why not just call them Ebony and Ivory?" Reaver snidely.

"Don't you think that's a little... devilish?" Katrina countered.

"Fine, fine. If you're going to cry about it, just keep it Love and Hate." Reaver shrugged his shoulders and started to walk. "I don't know about you, but I have worked up quite a thirst."

"Let's hope the tavern is still standing." Katrina said as she quickened her pace to catch up with Reaver.

They hadn't been sipping their brew long before even more excitement came looking for them. The Tavern had been lucky and didn't have any damage. It was just a little soggy from the waves but none the worse for wear. Colt and Gunner had decided to head to the tavern with them and were sitting at the corner of the bar. Colt claimed that space as his own and had all his tools strewn across the counter, working away on his gift, vowing not to stop work until they were completed. Gunner was the poor boy who had to fetch anything that Colt needed though.

Reaver and Katrina on the other hand, were seated at one of the tables sipping on some pints, the days battles catching up to their bodies.

"I can not remember the last time I was this sore." Katrina said as she stretched out her leg, making a face at the burning protest it was giving.

"I must admit mon chérie, I don't believe I have ever had a scrap quite like that." Reaver took a big swig of his ale.

"What are you complaining about. You weren't thrown into the building." Katrina followed his lead and took a sip of her own frothy liquid. Gods be damned, after all she had been through today, she had every right to try to get drunk. If she got a hang over the next morning though she swore she would hunt the Gods down and make them pay dearly.

"You're right. I wasn't foolish enough to jump upon the beasts writhing appendages." He spat at her.

"Admit it Reaver. You were worried about me." She teased.

"I was more concerned about the monster ripping me to shreds at that moment in time thank you." Reaver finished off his ale.

"That was a sharper sting that when the desert cooks the skin from your flesh and turns you red." Katrina mumbled looking down at her drink. The bar tender had noticed the two needed refills and brought them over. When he was at the table side Katrina asked. "Do they know the extent of the damage yet?

"Just one merchant ship went down and the end of that pier needs to be reconstructed. Luckily there was only one person on the ship and he made it out alive. A couple of buildings have damage from the wave and the one from, well you." The bartender smiled at her and she couldn't help but giggle and smile back. "But there were no casualties, a few people have scraps or bruises, but the worst is a broken bone or concussion. We already have divers getting the stock from the merchant ship."

"I'm just happy no one was seriously hurt or killed. Hopefully the other lanterns do not try to use this situation to their advantage. Thank you for telling us." Katrina smiled up at the man before she took a sip of her drink. He gave a nod before he turned on his heels and went back to the bar.

"That was rather flirtatious." Reaver remarked when the bartender was out of earshot, earning a derisive snort for a response. "So would you kindly tell me what these lanterns are that I keep hearing about?"

"The lanterns are the port cities. The largest is Fairwinds, the Onyx Lantern. The second is Cerulean Reef, the Cerulean Lantern. Third Spiderwater, the Amber Lantern. Fourth Minstrels Bay, the Scarlet Lantern and last but not least is Woe Hold Whirlpool, the Emerald Lantern. Each port city has noble that lives there and keeps track of trade, business, commerce and so forth. The nobles then report to the court and tell of dealings or problems. Then the court reports to the emperor." Katrina stated her lecture as a teacher would to a child because she was annoyed with Reaver's comment beforehand.

"There are nobles only in port cities?" Reaver asked, catching a little of Katrina's annoyance.

"No. Where ever there is a domain, the Emperor has a noble to watch it for him." Katrina was almost done with her second ale and she was starting to feel the warming on the back of her neck. "We all work for the Emperor..."

"Sounds like a nice little monarch Samarkand has going on here." Reaver simply stated.

"It is for the most part. Most people are well taken care of, but some do slip through the cracks. It would also be so easy for it to be over thrown though..."

Reaver's eyebrow raised inquisitively and he was about to say something, but before he could there was another voice heard from across the room.

"Katrina!" Garth barked from the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. Katrina wasn't quite in the mood to deal with him at the moment so she took another drink to see if that would help. It didn't.

In fact when Garth saw her drinking it just increased his anger. He stormed to her table side, glaring at Reaver and then at her.

"Ah ami fou. How can we be of assistance today?" Reaver asked as if everything was all rainbows and kittens, instead of having an angry mage standing over them.

"What happened?" Garth's voice was strained and Katrina knew he was trying to keep calm.

"A Kraken attacked." Katrina replied as if it were just an everyday occurrence.

"And?" Garth tried to pry more information from her.

"I killed it." She said with a shrug.

"Hey." Reaver Chimed in.

"Oh stuff it, you just pissed the damn thing off, I'm the one who killed it." Katrina snapped at him. Maybe the alcohol was having more of an effect than she thought.

Garth just stood there, a mix of emotions on his face as he tried to process the information before he asked, "So is it safe to assume you were the source of the light show?"

"Yup." She finished off her ale and signaled the bartender for another. She turned to look at her father and he did the last thing she would have ever thought possible. Garth reached out, taking Reaver's ale against Reaver's protest, and chugged the rest of it as he sat down. Katrina could only look on as if her father had grown an extra head, much like how Reaver stared at him as well.

"So your the fancy mage. What exactly did she do?" Reaver asked once the bartender had brought a new round for all of them.

Garth just stared down at the amber liquid for a moment before he spoke. "I'm not sure. It looked as if she combined the spells Divine Fury and Infernal Wrath but I'm not sure that is even possible. I've only read about those spells in ancient scrolls and I have _never_ heard of someone weaving spells like that." He paused to take a drink before continuing. "Of course I had also never heard of Will being imbued into a bullet to give the ammunition a magical effect either until this morning."

"Yea well I've actually been tinkering with that for a while." Katrina said when her father took another drink. He was almost through that ale too. He was going to regret it if he didn't slow down. "But I have never even had the notion of that. I doubt I could do that again..."

"Have you ever tried opening yourself to the will of the earth?" Garth asked her.

"How did you know about that?" Katrina was surprised. She had never told anyone about that. That was what she was always doing when she went out to sit on the rock in the pond. It was in that spot that she could feel an inkling of something...

"Every serious mage has tried it. None have ever succeeded."

"Until now apparently." Reaver chimed in once more.

"Yes. Until now." Garth conceded before he continued. "What did it feel was happening during it."

"If felt like joy and anger were coiling and writhing inside my body." She told him as she remembered back to the moment. "I thought I was going to die."

"And that is when you let down your guards. That is when you allowed the earth to channel itself through you." Garth was talking more to himself than Katrina, but he finally looked up at her. "Only one man has come even remotely close to that. A strong Will master from over five hundred years ago. Palgan. Your real father."

Katrina's attention snapped back into focus when she heard this. Had Garth really given her the name of her father? She turned to Reaver and saw that his attention was captured as well. Did she really want Reaver to know her family history?

"Reaver could you please excuse us for a moment?" Katrina asked politely, making her voice sound like honey.

"As you wish mon chérie." He got up and went over to where Colt was sitting to watch the man work and more likely than not heckle him as he did so.

She turned to Garth and she could tell that his emotions were tearing him apart.

"Garth." He looked up at her when he heard his name. "You are my father no matter what. You are the one who raised me. You are the one who looked out for me. You are the one who loved me. Nothing will ever change that. I will always love _you_ father."

When she smiled she saw an immediate difference in his body language. He was no longer tense and ridged. His shoulders sagged as if she had just taken the weight of the world off of them. He gave a smile back at her.

"I suppose I am overdue to tell you this." He took a deep breath before he began. "Your Father's name was Palgan. Like a said he was a strong Will user from over five hundred years ago. He was said to be able to float amongst the clouds as he communed with the earth. Your mother, whom I believe is Theresea because she is the only one with knowledge powerful enough for some of the things I am going to tell you, had met him on a journey to Samarkand. I am not entirely sure what happened but your mother ended up killing Palgan for trying to steal her power before she knew that she carried you in her womb."

"She eventually reached Samarkand and the Great Library. Where she had you. I don't know how the next part came to be but when you were only five years old she put you into a stasis to protect you from something. Move forward four hundred and some odd years and this is where I come into the picture. As I was doing research in the library your mother came up to me. She told me that I needed to raise a child, that the fate of the world may very well depend on it. I thought her crazy but she quickly changed that." Garth paused a moment, looking back into his memory. "I finally agreed and she took me to you. You were deep under ground, in a tomb from the old kingdom. After watching her disarm a great many traps and locks, I found myself in a hidden oasis with trees and flowers of all kinds. It was the first time I had ever seen some of them. I was fascinated. I began looking around and that is when I found you. In the middle of a pond. Just floating there as if you were asleep. You were surrounded by lily flowers and you had a smile on your face as if you were having a wonderful dream."

"I...I was." Katrina said more to herself. The shock was a bit much to bear. She was over five hundred years old and now was when she was starting to remember the hazy images floating on the outskirts of her consciousness.

Garth hadn't heard her and was continuing on. "I finally waded into the water and picked you up. It was heart melting when you curled your little hand around one of the scrolls in my vest. But as soon as I picked you up, the oasis around us disappeared and your mother spoke. _This is Katrina. raise her well_. That was all that she said before she turned and left..."

"I did just that. I brought you home to Sanvia and we both raised you as if you were our own. The first years went by as if they were a dream but then we started to notice some things happening. You started to find your Hero powers. You were having trouble controlling them. I tried to teach you how, but your blood and lineage was much more powerful than mine. That's when your mother showed up again. She told me I had to do an old kingdom ritual on you or you...you would destroy yourself with your own power."

"Of course I did the ritual on you. You were my daughter. I couldn't stand to lose you. You have no idea how much it mangled my heart when I heard you crying from the pain but I couldn't stop. I had to save you."

"And what about the shard you put into the back of my neck?" Katrina's fingers ran along the outline of the shard under her skin. "Why did you stop me from aging?"

"That isn't what stopped you from aging. You had stopped aging before that. The shard in the back of your neck was also to keep your powers in check because your body was starting to over power the first ritual." Garth's words were heavy with emotion. "You stopped aging because of your power. You will probably pass into fable as one of the immortals long after I turn to dust little one."

"You haven't called me that in forever." Katrina smiled.

"I know. I haven't been around enough for you and I apologize."

"What have you been doing in Albion all this time?" Katrina asked.

"At first I was helping Lucien Fairfax. I helped him build the spire. I didn't know he would kill so many in order to do it. When I told him I wouldn't help him any longer, he made me his prisoner." He paused a moment, anger flashing over his face. "For over ten years I rotted in that cell. Worrying about you and Sanvia the whole time. If I could I would rend Lucien's flesh from his bones for doing that."

"How did you escape?" Katrina was playing with her ale instead of drinking it.

"A hero by the name of Sparrow saved me. They had snuck their way in, pretending to be a worker. When the time was right we made a break for it. I would still be there if it weren't for them."

"When we got to the docks Theresea showed herself and told me of the plight. Of course I had to stay and stop Lucien. She brought me to their headquarters and I helped in every way that I could, but when I tried to pull her to the side to see if it was in fact the same woman, your mother, I was dismissed."

"Obviously Lucien was stopped." Katrina piped up.

"Yes and then Theresea transported me home. Unfortunately she also transported Reaver here as well. Speaking of the deviant, has he tried anything with you or done anything?"

"Don't worry father, I'd kill him if he made any unwanted advances toward me." She gave Garth a wink and he couldn't help but smile.

The two sat in silence enjoying each others company, working on finishing their drinks. Each of them were lost in their own thoughts. Katrina finally knew where she had come from. What her history was and she couldn't help but have a sense on contentment. It was like a piece was missing from the puzzle that was her life and now that Garth had this conversation with her, the piece was put into its appropriate spot.

"I'm going to Albion." Katrina's voice ended the silence.

"Why?" Garth was a little startled at the sudden announcement.

"I want to meet her. I want to meet my mother."

"Are you ready for that?" Garth asked as he stood up.

"I'm not sure..." Katrina answered honestly.

"Then that means you're not. Trust me little one, you'll know when it is time to go to Albion." Garth paid the bartender before he continued. "While I was gone you grew into a bold and honorable young woman. I was just too foolish to see it."

"I love you too dad." Katrina replied with a chuckle before she went back into her Ale. She watched him as he stopped at the door. He turned around and gave Reaver a glare that if anyone else had gotten, would have made them shrivel up and died, but not Reaver. Reaver just gave Garth a smile and a little wave sending him away annoyed.

"May I now be graced with your presence once more mon chérie?" Reaver asked with an exaggerated bow.

"Someone gets quite snarky when he gets sent to the corner now doesn't he." Katrina said as she gave the spot next to her a pat.

"Usually I am the one sending people away."He came over and took the seat next to her. "I am not used to being the one with his face in the corner."

"Aww the bad little boy isn't used to time outs." Katrina teased. Nothing could bring down her good spirits.

"Someone must have heard what she wanted to hear. So what was so secretive that I had to be sent away?" Reaver put his head on his hand as he looked at her.

"Me telling you about it now would defeat the purpose of sending you away earlier."

"Oh it must have been juicy. Let me guess, he told you that you are the love child between him and a hobbe." Reaver cringed when she punched him in the arm with a little more force that she had intended. "Ow"

"My father doesn't keep the company of hobbes in his bed unlike you." She teased.

"So you are comparing yourself to a hobbe?" He countered.

"You haven't had me in your bed yet Reaver." She leaned closer, giving him a devilish smile and a cock of her head.

"Yet?" He leaned forward as well, his face inches away, and gave a smile equally if not more devilish than hers. If one were to look over they would have sworn they could see lightning between the two.

Katrina was the first to lean back. She knew she'd only dig her grave deeper if she responded to his last little comment. Reaver knew that she found him_ quite_ attractive and he would use that against her. Every last rippling muscle...

She had to whip her thoughts away from that place but it was too late. Reaver had a very good notion of where her thoughts had just wandered. He just smiled as he leaned back and put his hands behind his head. Katrina just couldn't help but feel as if Reaver's eyes were doing a hell of a lot more than undress her...

She sauntered over to the bartender to pay her tab, making sure to start a little conversation with him that made the both of them laugh and give him a seductive smile before she left. Maybe if she showed Reaver that he was not the only man that had interest in her maybe it would shut him up for a while.

She walked along the street enjoying the breeze coming from the ocean as the sun was sinking lower in the sky. She didn't feel sick from drinking like she had yesterday but she wasn't completely sober either. She was in a nice haze of contentment.

As she walked along though she started to notice that people walking toward her would look at her and then at something behind her, then give her as much room as possible like they were trying to put distance between themselves and danger. After the fifth time she finally spun around to see what was behind her.

A few steps behind her was Reaver stalking her like a wolf would stalk a rabbit. The look in his eyes dark and hungry. It must have been how a balverine looked at Scarlet Robe before it lunged to tear her heart out. She couldn't help but stop and stare into those eyes. Reaver didn't stop though, he walked straight up to her. He stopped mere inches from her and stared down into her eyes, the look of hunger never leaving his. He was so close that she could smell the alcohol on his breath and she couldn't help but give a little shiver.

She pulled her gaze away from his and quickly turned around. She hurriedly began making her way back to her home. The looks of the passersby told her that Reaver was still following her. What would he do once there were no people around? She knew that her resolve against him was weakening with every kiss. With every moment more spent with him. Would she be able to push him away the next time his mouth was ravaging hers? Would she be able to deny him entrance into her?

Katrina noticed that the people were starting to thin out. She was approaching the gate and then she knew there would be no one on the road in the desert except for Reaver and her. With every passing moment her anxiety grew that by the time she reached the gate she was practically shaking.

The guards opened the gate and let them both out and she couldn't help but peek at Reaver from the corner of her eye. He was still looking at her, a wicked smile on his face, and he saw that she was looking at him earning a growl like chuckle.

Her feet moved quickly after that. That chuckle was too much like a sound that a predator would make right before they sunk their teeth into their prey. It was feral. The kind of sound that unlocked memories in her blood from ancestors that warned her to fear it.

She could hear him a few paces back, matching his steps with hers so it was harder for her to hear them. They stayed that way until they were almost to the gate. Almost home. Then she heard him pick up speed.

Katrina charged up her lightning spell and spun around to fight him. She found him just staring at her the same was he had been, amused that she would think of fighting him. Ignoring her spell, he grabbed her and smashed her against his body, crushing her lips into submission under his. It was impossible for her to think straight being drunk from the alcohol as well as his lips.

He finally pulled away with a smile on his face, the look in his eyes not so dark anymore. "I just wanted to give you a kiss goodnight before we got you home mon chérie..."

"Your eyes looked like they wanted to do a lot more than that." Katrina whispered softly, trying to regain control of her senses.

"I would be lying if I denied the truth of your statement. Je tiens à vous jeter dans le sable et en rut jusqu'à ce que vous êtes si plein de mon jus que vous ne pouvez pas m'empêcher de les faire fuir sur vos cuisses et vos jambes lorsque vous êtes debout." Reaver whispered into her ear. His breath making her shiver.

"You are teaching me that language tomorrow and there is no way you are getting out of it. Come either Kraken or angry mage, I will learn what you are saying." Katrina gave him a defiant smile.

"As you wish mon chérie." Reaver pulled away, looping her arm around his, and led her home.

_Author's Note;_

_Oh My God! _

_663 Views._

_663 views on my little story. That is the most views I have ever gotten on anything!_

_You have no idea how much that means to me._

_THANK YOU!_

_Seriously thank you to any and all who have read this. To the people who are watching this. To the people who put it in their favorites. Even to the one person who reviewed it._

_YOU PEOPLE ROCK!_

_I look forward from hearing from you and delighting you even further with my story. Hopefully you'll stick with me to the end and I make you proud._


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